I really like my 50 sentences too much, but... they really get me back into writing. And I need to write more. I tried to arrange these in a rough chronological order, but don't worry about how the ones within a certain time period relate to each other. You'll see the gradual order, I'm sure.

Also, why "Tea with Honey"? There's a personal reason for this title. I get sore throats all the time, and when a girl I see as an older sister figure told me to drink tea with honey to help, I thought it sounded like something England would tell little America. It just seems like a cute, light title to give to a collection like this.

Enjoy!


Dance

When America chose him over France, England felt like dancing out of sheer joy.

Sleep

He could never settle well, but when his older brother held him close, sleep was an easy heaven to slip into.

Hands

The first time America walked on his own, he constantly tripped and would have fallen if not for his brother's hand patiently keeping him steady.

Because

"Please stay with me," America said as his eyelids fluttered with the exhaustion of his fever—to which England responded, "Of course—I love you, after all."

Summer

"I don't care how hot it is—put your clothes back on this instant, America!"

Dream

When America fell asleep at night, he dreamed of frolicking through the fields with his older brother.

Smile

The smile America gave England upon receiving his hand-crafted soldiers broke the older nation's heart in the most wonderful way.

Promise

"Shh, America, I promise I'll never leave you."

Speech

England positively beamed with pride when he realized America had begun to adopt an accent similar to his own.

Family

He would protect him, care for him, hold him, teach him—but most of all, love him.

Time

"Just this once... lemme sleep a lil' longer, England..."

Emotion

"It's okay to cry when you're upset, America," England said as he patted his brother's head, causing tears to trickle down the smaller nation's cheeks.

Help

At first, England hadn't thought he'd be able to help his little brother at all (seeing the tiny boy's strength had dashed his hopes of ever being a caretaker), but over time, he had realized America needed him after all.

Safe

America tiptoed into his brother's bedroom, smiled when he saw England was all right, and said, "I'll make sure nothing will ever happen to you, either."

Late

England stumbled into the meeting with France with his waistcoat askew and hair sticking out in all directions and grumbled to himself about how America had made him late once again.

Shoelaces

America constantly tripped over his, but each time, England picked him back up and tied his shoes as tightly as he could.

Flowers

One afternoon, America went outside and returned several hours later with a clumsily-crafted crown of flowers for his brother, "the king of the universe!"

Lighthearted

In the midst of a troubled world, America's innocence soothed England.

Lie

"I really did finish all of my dinner, England—can't I have dessert now?"

Thunder

To England's surprise, America never minded the loud noise; rather, he was always asking exactly what caused it and how he could make the same sound himself.

Truth

"I love you."

Silence

It didn't matter how quiet America was when he played hide-and-seek: England managed to find him every time.

Darling

England knew that by loving America he was opening himself up to a host of terrible, painful possibilities if anything ever came between them—but he was such an adorable little boy.

Eyes

One pair was green and the other blue, one older and the other younger, but when both brothers were excited, no further distinction could be made.

Parks

"I wanna go play on Breed's Hill today—let's go outside, England!"

Courage

America was still a small nation, but he would have braved any danger to make sure his older brother was all right.

Winter

Harsh though they be, America's winters filled England with a sense of joy and wonder that his own winters could not match.

Snow

When he snuck outside without England's permission and wandered too far from the house, America used his brother's footprints from earlier that morning to find his way back.

Butterfly

No matter how quickly America ran after them, he could never catch the beautiful creatures.

Autumn

When the autumn came, America would spend all day hidden in the piles of leaves outside his house—until a terrified England put a stop to the one-sided game.

Pitch

England was no great singer, but whenever he crooned lullabies to his little brother, America thought he was God's personal musician.

Seconds

"Don't tell me you're still hungry, America..."

Cheap

It cost him many a pretty penny, but England always brought America plenty of sugar when he came to visit.

Book

"Tell me a story, England," was his favorite thing to say—and his brother's favorite thing to hear.

Pasta

"England," America said as he brushed his brother's tears away, "just because I ate so much of Italy's food, it doesn't mean yours isn't good, so don't be upset..."

Scrape

"Don't cry, America—it's just a little scrape, and it'll stop hurting soon."

Together

No matter how scary anything seemed, America could get through it with England holding him.

Waffle

America begged to eat waffles for breakfast every morning—and England, for some reason, never tired of making them.

Bishop

The first time England tried to teach him how to play chess, America had simply sat starting at the board, mesmerized by all the intricate marble figures.

Mellow

For England, relaxing afternoons where they could quietly sit together were small gifts from Heaven.

Mailbox

America treasured every single letter England sent him once he was old enough to read.

Lake

When America fell in, England scooped him up in his arms without a moment's hesitation and ran home, wrapped him in a blanket, and spent the next several hours fussing over him more than he'd care to admit.

Clock

Time could never pass quickly enough when his older brother was gone.

Years

He had grown up far too fast.

Today

In hindsight, England knew his biggest mistake was to dwell on the past and imagine the future without treasuring America for who he was in the moment.

Pride

The first day America pushed him away—"I'm too old for you to treat me like a child!"—was the first day in decades that England felt his heart break.

Regret

How could England regret the rift in their relationship when he didn't consider it his fault?

Superfluous

"I don't need you anymore, England."

Sorrow

"All I wanted was to protect you, to love you—didn't I give you freedom enough?"

Speculation

"Maybe... if only I had done something differently—would he have stayed...?"


Notes:

Breed's Hill is the name of the hill where The Battle of Bunker Hill actually occurred.

Sugar, like all spices, was very expensive around this period in history. If anyone could get it, it would be England—and, in my mind, if he could get it for anyone, it would be for America.