Logging:
Just a fluffy little oneshot based on something between my dad and me.
Mattie = Canada Alisdair = Scotland Francis/Frankie = France
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia =(
Mattie watched the axe fall, neatly splitting large rounds into smaller pieces. He felt like he should offer to help, but was fairly sure he wouldn't even be able to lift the axe. After watching his father split several more and start loading them into a wheelbarrow, Mattie slowly approached.
"Can I help?" He asked, tentatively. The redhead glanced up from stacking the logs and grinned.
"I don't see why not, lad." Alisdair straightened, brushing the dirt off his hands.
He beckoned the small Canadian slightly closer, and handed him the axe. Mattie hadn't really planned on being taken up on his offer and watched sceptically as Alisdair placed half a round onto the larger one being used as a chopping surface.
He turned back to Mattie and gave him another smile.
"Now, you want to measure how far away you are from the log. Place the axe on top of it."
Mattie uncertainly attempted to place the blade of the axe on top of the round he was meant to be cutting. It wasn't even a large axe, but there was certainly some weight to it. He really wished the tall Scot had told him he couldn't help. Eventually shifting the axe enough that he could lift it, Mattie got it sitting, slightly precariously, on top of the wood.
Alisdair gently pushed him slightly closer to the log. "You want to be hitting it straight on, laddie. You donnae want it glancing off the side, now." Mattie shuffled a bit, already feeling the strain in his shoulders.
"Now it's easy enough. Just lift it up an' give it a good, hard swing. Try to get in in the centre."
Mattie sighed slightly and gave it a try. He didn't get the axe up far, and it barely made a mark on the wood when it came back down. More determined, the blonde lifted the axe again, moving his feet a little for better balance. Deciding to rely on momentum, he tried to some force into the swing. When the axe came down again it went halfway through the log.
And got stuck.
Mattie gave the axe a small futile tug. Unfortunately, all that achieved was to pull the log, with the axe still embedded, off the chopping block, and let it roll around on the ground a bit, pulling on his arm and nearly making him stumble over.
Alisdair picked up both log and axe as if they weighed nothing, and quickly worked the metal out of the wood.
He handed the axe back to Mattie with another smile.
"Another one like that. Try to get it in the same place."
Mattie groaned internally, but tried again anyway. After a few more attempts, involving the axe bouncing off the side of the log, and getting stuck again, the log was finally in two smaller pieces. Alisdair added one to the barrow, but placed the other back on the base.
Mattie knew what he was supposed to do and lifted the axe again. He had learnt where to stop lifting it so he wouldn't fall over backwards, but it still came close a couple of times.
Another round and a half later, Mattie was completely absorbed in chopping the logs ad rather enjoying it. He had had several clean cuts, and a slim piece go flying off with such force it landed several feet away. Alisdair had been fairly impressed.
Mattie slowly filled the rest of the wheelbarrow, being nudged forward back into place several times when the axe was landing in the clay-filled ground in front of him more than the wood he was meant to be chopping.
They had almost filled a second barrow, and Mattie was hot and his shoulders tired, when Francis appeared, leaning on the fence watching them both.
He waited for Mattie to finish his last log into five pieces, an amused soft smile on his face.
"I've made some tea, Cheri; when you're ready to come in."
Mattie nodded, panting slightly.
"Well, I think that'll be enough for the day, ey lad?" Alisdair moved forth, relieving Mattie of the axe.
Matt nodded, and helped pick up all the log pieces and large woodchips, before retrieving the jumper he had removed, and following Francis back up the garden.
The warm water stung developing blisters on his hands when he washed them, and the muscles in his shoulders and upper arms felt exhausted, but Mattie still had a feeling of accomplishment.
"Dad?" He asked, turning to Alisdair.
"Aye, lad?"
"Can I chop some more logs tomorrow?".
I know; a bit meh. But I hope you enjoyed it. =)