Written for the USUK Livejournal Community's Sweetheart's Week. Third prompt: Young Love.

She didn't know what to expect when they first showed up. They were from Europe, and there were a lot of them, but then knew nothing about this land, and most certainly would have died the first winter if she and her people didn't help them. She didn't know much about this Europe, but it was apparently a strange place if its people didn't even know the basics of farming or hunting and had come here looking for, what was it they kept say, 'a better life.'

Of course, she had heard about this Spain guy and what he had done to Inca, Mayan, and Aztec in South America, and as such had been wary about these other colonists. The colonists, however, defied all stories, as they seemed more likely to end up killing themselves rather than her and her people. And so she let her guard down.

That was her first mistake.

Nobody knew exactly where the baby came from. Definitely from the colonies, but which precise colony (if any) was a mystery, as there were so many by this time. He was clearly like her, a nation made out of these European rejects that called her land home. His existence should have been the first sign; she should have killed him when she had the chance.

That was her second mistake.

Instead she took him in; he was only an infant after all and still knew nothing of who he was or what he was doing here. She nurtured him, cared for him as her people helped and cared for his. In return, she saw his blue eyes light up just like the sky above them and his smile that could brighten even the darkest night.

He was so strong too. Even as a baby he was able to lift far more than any of the men in her tribes or his colonies. And maybe it was just instinct, but he somehow knew he wasn't like everyone else, but had something in common with her. So he clung to her like a lifeline, shying away from the people, having only eyes for her. She, in turn, came to love the baby like it was her own, which in a way it kind of was.

That was her third mistake.

He grew out of infancy fast, walking and talking before she knew it. She was his 'Mama' and he was her 'Little One.' As he grew she kept the other nations, who were coming to her land more and more frequently, oblivious to his existence, fearful of what would happen to him when they realized what their colonies had become. A sensible part of her reasoned that it wouldn't be as bad as she was picturing because he was clearly mostly European, but maybe she just wanted him all to herself for as long as she could have him.

As he grew however, so did the colonies. They kept taking more and more of her land, and she and her people were tired of it. It was only a matter of time until fighting broke out, and when that happened there was no way she could take care of her Little One anymore.

"Mama!" he shouted as he ran after her, crying, confused as to why she was leaving him all alone so suddenly. "Mama! Wait for me!"

"No," she said, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him. "No, I'm done."

"But…Mama…"

"I'm tired," she admitted, "I'm tired of taking care of you while you do nothing but steal my land."

"I'm…doing that to Mama?"

"Yes. It was nice while it lasted, Little One, or should I call you America now?"

"No!" He ran forward and clung to her leg, "Please stay! Don't leave me! I don't want to hurt Mama! I'll change, I'll make it better! Please don't leave me all alone!"

"I'm done," she repeated, prying her leg out of his inhumanly tight grip, leaving him crying on the ground. "I'm done with you and your colonists. If you were meant to survive, you should be able to do that on your own."

"I don't get it! I don't understand!" he cried. "They…them…they're different, I'm different. I don't know why! You're the only one like me Mama! Don't leave me all alone like this!"

"I'm sorry;" she turned around, couldn't face his tears anymore, "but…you're not my Little One anymore. You're their America."

"I don't get it! What does that mean?" She walked away, hearing one last cry of "Mama!" but refusing to look back.

She was done making mistakes.

America was all alone, and he didn't know why.

He tried going back to the colony, but they were just so different from him that he felt uncomfortable and ended up running away.

Mama never made him feel uncomfortable…

So he tried a different colony, and a different one after that, and another one after that, all ending with the same result.

He missed Mama.

The animals helped him out. The various deer and rabbits and birds that lived in the area kept him company and shared some of their food with him. At night they even helped keep him warm by sleeping with him.

It was better than nothing, but it still wasn't the same. Until the day he met someone else.

He woke up that morning and went to go look for food with his friends down by the river just like every other morning. Unlike every other morning however, someone else was there first.

A tall man with spiky blonde hair was already there, staring out into the forest as if he were looking for something. He was also carrying one of those exploding stick things that all of the colonists had, but that's not what made America peak out from his hiding place in the bushes instead of just patiently waiting for him to pass like he usually did when encountering anyone in the forest.

What did was more of a feeling than anything else. A feeling that this man was just like him, just like Mama. If he was asked how he knew, he wouldn't be able to tell, after all the man looked like just another average colonist, but the young child could just…tell there was something different about him.

Suddenly, the man turned to where America was hiding, exploding stick thing pointing at the bush, causing him to duck back into his hiding place on reflex. A sharp BANG rang through the air and one of the deer fell dead by America's side.

"Ha, got one," he heard the man say as he walked towards the bush. Warning bells started going off in America's head as he got closer. This guy is dangerous! Get out get out get out!

Sooner than he expected, the man brushed aside the branches concealing America and his woodlands friends. The animals wasted no time scattering as soon as their location was revealed, but the young child found himself frozen, unable to get away.

"Huh? What's this? A kid?" America looked up to find the man staring right at him.

"Where'd you come from little guy? You're not from one of my colonies, I'd know you if you were. The only other colonies around here are Sweden's though…" the man looked at him thoughtfully, America looking fearfully back, afraid of his judgment, "but you don't really look like one of his or Finland's either. You didn't come all the way from one of France's or England's colonies did you?" He reached forward to pick the child up, but luckily at that moment America came to his senses and bolted away. Before the man could do as much as blink, he was out of sight.

As America leaned up against a tree far, far away, panting for breath, he thought about what had occurred.

So there are others out there like me and Mama…but they aren't as nice as Mama. Mama… he sniffled a little, but managed to hold back full blown tears from erupting. Despite how scary this encounter was, it also filled him with hope. Hope that someone somewhere out there who was like him would take him and love him again. This time though, he'd try not to drive them away again…

That guy mentioned Sweden… America didn't know who what or where Sweden was or if she/he/it was friendly, but apparently it/she/he was nearby, and that was a start.


The land was big, wide, and spacious, as America was quick to find out, but it surprisingly wasn't unfamiliar to him. Most of the colonists he had come across complained about how rough the terrain was or how hard it was to get anywhere, yet the young blonde could easily make his way wherever he wanted to go across it almost instinctively. He found it interesting and filed it away under 'Reasons Why I'm Different Then Everybody Else' for now. He had been discovering little things like that in his adventures across the landscape looking for someone else like him that wouldn't blow his head off.

A month or so after his encounter with the man in forest, he stumbled upon two more people that gave him the same feeling that Mama and the man from before had, the feeling that they too were different from everybody else.

They were fishing and talking, well one was talking. The other was sitting there listening, so America decided to creep closer to listen to what he was saying.

"…there's really nothing here, is there?" he said while his companion just nodded.

And America was insulted.

He didn't know why he was so insulted by that comment. After all he was still very young and surely these two older men knew what they were talking about, but in America's opinion this land had everything he could ever want, open skies, endless fields, beautiful scenery, enough danger and risk to keep things interesting, and unlimited possibilities. What more could you ask for?

"Mm? That's…" the man said, looking in America's direction. When had he poked his head out the bush again?

"Wow, so cute!" he exclaimed. "Who are you? Come here…" And the warning bells went off in America's head again. Despite is sweet appearance, this man was dangerous. The scary look his companion was giving him over his shoulder wasn't helping things either.

"Ah! I'm sorry, good-bye!" he screamed, running off again.

Well, there's two more, the young blonde thought after he had gotten a safe distance away. And this time I managed to talk to them too…kinda.

Still, despite the warning bells, that one did seem nicer than the man from the forest, and he didn't have anywhere else to go…

Maybe following them around wouldn't be such a bad idea. At the very least he might get some questions answered.


Finland and Sweden. That was what they were called, as he eventually found out. They apparently knew him too, as they used the word 'America' a lot, but they never directed it at him. Not that he approached them ever or they approached him again, as he ended up bolting whenever they so much as glanced in his direction.

There were times when Finland and Sweden got on these giant wooden floaty things to 'go back home,' where ever that was. Mama did always complain about some place beyond the sea, so America assumed that that was where they were from.

They were also definitely different from all the other colonists, and everybody knew it. They spent most of their time together by themselves, and although they did talk to the other colonists, it was mostly about business and 'back home,' so it wasn't very interesting.

One day, though, they didn't come back. In their place was the man from the forest, who was called Holland. America didn't stick around for too long after that, opting instead to go further south.


He did end up seeing Finland again, but this time he brought two more people with him that America had never before. Not only that, but they were looking for him.

"See France? His hair and stuff looks just like mine! He is undoubtedly my little brother!"

"No England, you're wrong! Look at his shoulders! We're two peas in a pod! That proves his my little brother!"

"Does he look like me at all?"

"Ah-no, no! You can't judge these things by faces and the like!"

"Instead of likeness, what's important is your love! The depths of your love say it all!"

Depths of your love? America thought, looking between the three of them. True, he was happy that these people who were similar to him were actually looking for him, but the warning bells were still going off in his head, preventing him from approaching them.

Then there was that phrase they kept throwing around, little brother. He had never seen two of them before today, and if anyone he had met since Mama had left him was actually related to him, then why weren't they around before?

"But to think that we would find another nation out here like this," The one called France continued, "what are the odds, hm? I don't think I can remember the last time there was actually a new one of us."

Nation? What's that? Is that what I am?

"It's because of the colonies," England stated, "Spain and Portugal said they've found a few in the South Americas."

"Wow, to think the world was changing that much," Finland pondered.

"Well, clearly since my colony is nearby, America is my little brother," England said.

"But…I saw him back in New Sweden…"

"Don't think you're getting him that easily, England! My colonies aren't that far away either."

The warning bells were going crazy at this point, so America chose that moment to make his exit.

But, he thought when he had gotten a safe distance away, if England does end up winning…I wouldn't mind all that much. He couldn't quite place it but there was something about the older man that made him feel genuinely safe for the first time since he was left on his own.

Perhaps it was the eyes.


So he was a nation. He didn't know how that quite worked or what it actually entailed, but it felt right. He guessed that it had something to do with all the colonists he had met during his journeys, as he had felt something towards them even if he preferred to avoid them all. Or maybe it had something to with the land he loved to explore. Perhaps it was even a little of both. Point is, for the first time in what felt like forever, things started making sense.

"Ha, I found you!" America turned to see no one other than England coming towards him. "I'm very busy now, but I gave up some of my valuable time to come and see you. You'd better thank me for it."

"Oh, you came. I'm glad you did," and he was. He had been looking for the green-eyed nation for the past few days, but couldn't find him and had been worried that Holland had gotten to him too.

"What you're not going to run away?"

"Mm, I'm fine. I've figured out a lot about myself lately." Mostly because of him, but he decided to leave that bit out.

"Um, I'm glad to see you too. Goodness you grow up fast." That was what Mama said before she left…is England going to leave now too?

"Alright, this simplifies things. From now on, you're my little brother!" Good, I guess not.

"Then, I should call you big brother, right?"

America thought he did something wrong, as England froze at his words and started crying. He snapped out of it though, and said,

"No…just England is fine. That's enough for me…"


England visited him a few more times after that. France did too, but he never stayed as long as England did, and to be honest, America's warning bells were always at full force around the guy, even when he was cooking for him. The same bells were more subtle around England, and eventually they ended up disappearing altogether. One day though, the two of them showed up together again.

"We'll get nowhere at this rate!" England was saying. "Let's just have the boy decide and be done with it."

"Hah, exactly what I wanted. Everything up to now has all been according to my plan!"

America didn't know what they were talking about, and England getting scary all of a sudden didn't help matters at all.

"Sacrebleu! Stop that England, I'm starting to feel like crying too!" France got down on his knees to America's eye level and offered him a plate of food. "Now, come over here! Come here America, and your days will be filled with the wonder of French cuisine!" He had always had a soft spot for Frances cooking, so he took a few tentative steps forward.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see England shouting at some of his people behind him, then get all depressed and sink to the ground. For some reason this made the young nation's heart hurt. He didn't want England to be sad, so if there was something he could do to help…

"Are you alright?" he asked, lightly touching the other's knee.

He's not sure what happened, but apparently it meant that he would be moving into England's house, which was just fine with him.


America loved the time he spent with England. He was always nice and went out of his way to spend time with him and give him things. Not only that, but he told him about his duties as a nation, and was able to answer all of his questions (except that one about the words for meat…but France was able to explain it to him anyway, so it's all good). The only problem with being raised by England was that he always had to go home.

"Please don't leave me here all by myself!" he would cry and cling to his caretaker's legs.

"Don't worry America. I'll be back before you know it." He would kiss the top of his charge's head and get on the ship. And every time he left, the young nation would have this uneasy feeling, like he would leave him alone again, just like Mama did before.

So when he was gone, the colony decided to learn and explore and get stronger. Become strong enough to be able to protect himself against the likes of Holland and France who were still hanging around; strong enough to fight by England's side, so he never had to leave him again.

Eventually he finally got his wish, and that was when he saw his Mama again.


"You've grown, Little One," she commented.

"That's America to you," he corrected, "and you've stooped low enough to side with France."

"The lesser of two evils," she smiled at him, causing him to steady the musket he had pointed at her.

"Why?" he asked the question that had been on his mind for all those centuries. "Why did you leave me?"

"I don't see why it matters. You've done well for yourself without me."

"Thanks to England, but that's not much of an answer. You owe me that much."

"I owe you?" she laughed, but there was no humor in it. "That's a good one. I gave you everything I have, and all you ever did was take."

"I had no idea what I was doing. I was only a baby at the time!"

"That's all you've ever done, take things. That hasn't changed."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're completely dependent on your precious England."

"Am not! He's away a lot. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!"

"Are you? Look at yourself. You're wearing his uniform, fighting his battles against his enemy. Why is that I wonder?"

"Because…" America stopped and looked away for a few seconds before staring her down again. "Why did you leave?"

"Why are you here?"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"Does it?" she smirked. "You're burden to him, you know. Do you know how much he has to spend on this war, just to defend you?"

"Shut up!" he pointed the musket right at her face. "You don't know what you're talking about! I could fight by myself if I wanted to."

"If that's the case then why bother staying with England! Why not stand on your own two feet? Because you can't, that's why. Because you always take everything everyone has. That's just the way you are and that will never change."

"That's a lie! I stay with England because I love him!" The answer shocked both of them, as he lowered his weapon and she stared at him wide-eyed. "I…love him…" He repeated as he sunk to his knees.

She recovered from her shock quickly and walked over to him to press a kiss to his brow and wrap her arms around him. "I think you have your answer."

"What? You left me because you loved me?" he chuckled, "that makes no sense."

"I'm sure it will, in time." She let go of him and stood up, turning her back on him once more.

"I'll never leave England."

"For your sake, I hope you never will."

"Are you just going to leave again?"

"The war is over now, even I can admit that," she looked at him over her shoulder, "and I hope you still have enough reason to know what England does to his defeated enemies. I don't want to stick around for that. Are you going to try and stop me?"

"…no. I owe you that much."

"You owe me a lot more than that. But for now, I'll take it. I'll see you around, Little One." And with that she disappeared into the forests that she knew so well.

Not five minutes later, England himself showed up.

"Hahaha, that frog had no idea what he was dealing with. The two of us make quite a team, eh?" He took a look around and sat down next to America. "Are you okay? Where's-"

"She escaped. She surrendered before she left though, so we won't have to worry about her anymore."

"…Is everything alright, America? It looks like something's bothering you. What happened?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." He leaned his head against England's shoulder, thinking about everything his Mama had said to him.

"Hey, England…"

"Yes?"

"…never mind." He'd tell him later. After all, he wasn't going anywhere, and they had all the time in the world.