It started with a silly game in the lunch break… England never thought he could take these things too seriously, but here he was, listening to European Trading politics about transferring money to Spain and Greece again, while having multiple troubles in his mind, with tricks and jokes coming back from the past.
He was in jeans... he lost his pants somewhere in Camden Town yesterday, having a crazy night with America by his side...So he didn't have the Royal Air Force uniform's pants, but causal blue jeans... this never happened before. He was always neat, having his tea in difficult situations, always ready with advice and support for the others but this time, he was silent. This case was beyond his knowledge, and beyond his abilities to help.
"Well, the amount is quite large, again... but to finance the state..."
"Miss, your country has enough dept already. If you follow Greece and Spain in the line, we won't be able to maintain the system. You must consult your boss, Hungary, we can't allow this amount of money to be in dept."
Hungary frowned about four seats away from England, and the blond man sighed. This fit the atmosphere, everyone thought he was worrying for Hungary... actually he was, but to uphold his reputation, he should regain control over his emotions and longing first. One side of him wanted to end this meeting so bad, and go out with America to have sweets somewhere, then take the guy to a McDonalds (let him have Christmas), and then take him on a tour again somewhere in the night... but the things he has read in the morning about Hungary's state, he couldn't just stand up and leave.
"Please, I ask you again, do not care about my government and think about my people... my people are starving, and our society is aging, the youth is moving out from the country..."
"Then you should keep them inside."
"The rules of the European Union forbid me from... no! I can't do this! They have their free will to move away from the place where they suffer, but if they do, my state can't maintain itself!"
"Hungary..." Austria's quiet, sorrowful voice silenced the woman, who was standing at the table, her fist on the desk. Everyone knew in the hall, that she had serious problems with immigrations, and with the unemployed, uneducated mass, but without dealing with her government first, no one could offer a logical solution... and this was tragic. England shook his head in confusion. He dealt with these problems with revolutions, back then... Hungary's people are too scared to do that...? She looked so weak, that England, probably for the first time in his life, was worried about the woman. Long ago, she had nice, slim and still strong shape, but now she just looked... desperate and so thin, almost lifeless. Her face was pale, and the courage, the bravery and strength from her eyes were lost, but that was like this since 1920... June 4th... dates in the summer are curses... not just for England, but for Hungary too... and a bless for America, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia... we could continue the list.
She sighed again, and no one dared to say a word this time. They have heard this sigh enough times.
It was a sign, of a nation, giving up the future.
"Miss." England cleared his throat, and turned towards the woman full in black. As he realized this fact, his eyes widened in shock, he gasped but caught his breath in time. Hungary never wore black on meetings... just on the day of Prussia.
America took his turn, probably sensing the loss of words of the Englishman.
"Miss, we all have ups and downs in our history. You still have your people beside you, and they're gonna fight..."
"No, America. They won't." She shook her head so slowly, as if the time slowed down just for her. England closed his eyes, and covered them with his palms in pain. He himself had huge financial problems at home, he couldn't lend any money right now... but seeing this, was worse than having Scottish invasion...
"There must be a solution to that."
"Actually..." Austria straightened up in his seat, and put his elbows on the desk. "If we would clear her government as it is, write a new constitution, have an entirely new Parliament, clear all her laws and rules of governing, in this I mean, penal law, inheritableness, taxation system, educational system, housing system, religious system, labour code... and basically her laws et al... we would have better chances. But for that..."
"We can't force her government. " Germany shook his head. " That's forbidden by international law, but if we ask Mr. America..."
"Hey, in the Middle East..."
"Oh please, shut it." England cleared his throat again, and shot a glare at Germany, then America. "This is not about you, America. This is about Miss Hungary, and her fading."
"Thank you, Mr. England."
"Look, I know we never allied in anything, barely, but your people do well in my country. Although they are immigrants, most of them are educated, and professional workers. If they would stay in your borders, you would have definitely better... condition."
"I can't keep them inside with a system like that. What we have right now, is practically dictatorship, my boss said it out, if he could, he would crown himself. His staff is everywhere, my people are afraid of saying out their words loud, if they don't sympathize with the government they lose their jobs and the unemployment aid is so low that they can't maintain their family... I mean... the loyal, aboveboard families."
"If your people won't do anything, and if they won't ask for help..."
"They did, but in the European Parliament, no one cares about a useless country like me. I don't do... anything. All I have is... depts.." She covered her face as her voice trembled, and England sighed again at the sight. Austria stood up and hugged her with his left arm, embracing her to his shoulder, then turned his head towards Germany with the look of begging and entreaty.
"Please, call your brother. I think they have some things to discuss, about the future."
"We can't let this go on." America wiped his exhausted eyes with his thumbs, looking on the weak nation again. "I cannot go there with my military, the NATO and the whole Council would jump on me again, like last time. I just... Miss, every time I look at you, I would like to say, why didn't you take the Marshal Plan?"
"Do not bring this up, America. That wasn't her fault."
England gasped at this quiet, serious voice, he didn't remember he had ever heard before... Poland, from the other side of the table looked at America with such an annoyance that it was almost unbearable. This situation started getting out of control, and all they could see was Hungary, in the edge of breaking down... as England looked back at her for a second, she was sitting, holding Austria's hand at her face, smelling the scent of rose soap, feeling the touch of her ex-husband's fingers, which gave her the temporary feel of safe.
"Poor girl. It's never her choice. Since 1920, it's not her choice." England said, bringing tense, tragic and sorrowful silence in the room. "And we didn't do anything to stop that."
"The... the worst is..." Hungary bit her lower lip, then looked up at England again, as if he was the only person in the hall who understood her pain. "I see they're trying so hard, Mr. England, month by month they're struggling to keep up their living, to pay the bills, and everything is getting more and more expensive because of the state taxes, and I'm so worried... I don't watch TV anymore, I know they made commercials which strengthens the sense of their nationality, but I feel only bitterness in them... they don't want to belong to me anymore, and they are ashamed of their nationality... "
"This is not your fault, lady."
"You can't imagine, that they are so sick too... almost everyone is allergic, depressed, they hate each other, they are impatient and nervous all the time, because their life is really hard. The amount of hate among them is terribly huge... instead of uniting their voices, they fight each other all the time..."
"Hungary..." Austria closed his eyes and tried to calm her, but it was useless.
"And now we are at the point, that the European Parliament hates my country, they don't give us money because they know, that the government uses the money for their own good, not for the people, they cheated and stole incredible amount of money, and now there is no one I could turn for help... Slovakia hates me, Romania hates me..."
"I don't hate you. That much."
"Slovakia, please shut the fuck up and leave the room. Now."
"England!"
"If you don't try to help her, there is no point of you, being here!"
"I just..."
"I do not care! Please write down your ideas how to save her life, if you don't have any, leave! We don't need unnecessary negative impulses right now!"
"England."
A soft whisper, almost a breath left the lips of America, sounding tired and peaceful at the same time, and the British gentleman sat down in silence. In the following seconds, Slovakia looked at the blond man, then at the American, but couldn't find the logical answer for this situation. Soon, America himself turned towards him with such strength in his eyes, that the young nation had to escape from the gaze; he started packing his documents.
"Romania? Any comment?"
The young man just shook his head in confusion, and watched the furious Slovakia leaving the room, and shut his eyes at the bang of the door. As the tensions seemed to calm down, he opened his dark brown eyes again, and realized, England was still watching him, waiting for his answer.
"Look, I have my own troubles too, and to be honest, in my country her minority is quite strong. Of course, sometimes we have troubles in agreeing things, but in the past few years we improved a lot, I think. I find it interesting, that her country, again, the government refuses to accept the help of the minority which lives in my borders."
"All traces lead to the government." Summed it up America with a quiet clap of his hands, then turned towards England again. "What did you do, in these times?"
The blond gentleman blinked a few, before breathing deep and collecting his thoughts about the actual question, and not about the fact that America... the 'hero', the one who always knew everything better than everyone else... asked about his past, and his experience... his knowledge about life. Looking for help, England turned his head towards France, but his friend sighed.
"Mon ami, we beheaded everyone we didn't like, let's say it out. Way too brutal, but artistic, that's why we have so many paintings about it."
"Well, I nearly blew up the Westminster." England smiled at the thought, but bit his inner cheeks to keep himself from starting to smirk, then looked back on America. "And... used propaganda, chose a leader to break down everything, set up the new regime, and... yea. Tear it down again. I'm not the most endearing example of solving governmental troubles, my d—"
"Certainly." America cleared his throat as if he was in a hurry, and hopefully no one noticed England's mistake...
"Miss Hungary, please return to your hotel chambers, we will continue this topic on an other day. Your economy is good enough to work for one, maybe one and a half years, and during this period of time, I assure you, that me, and the Council will look for a satisfying solution for you. When is the next election, pardon?"
"2014." Austria said instead of the woman in silence. She didn't even look up on England anymore, but stood up with the help of the nobleman, then nodded, she heard what the Englishman has told her. Germany shook his head, but bit his lower lip... his economy couldn't maintain one more country... he helped enough in the past years, and Finland as well... they couldn't count on them anymore... like last time.
"Am I late?"
Hearing the voice of a cheerful friend was bless in the conference room; Prussia's pale, still happy face appeared in the doorway, and the man closed the entrance behind his back. Sensing the tension in the air, and the fact that he didn't get the usual friendly welcome, he frowned and walked to the edge of the table, to look around. England was alright, America wouldn't let anyone to hurt him, France is alright, Switzerland left already, Slovakia was missing too, Greece and Spain were filling out papers, they had huge stocks with them, and Finland was talking quietly with Sweden, while Poland and Estonia were just gazing into the nothing in front of them. Like someone has died, or what...
"What happened?"
"Prussia?"
England covered his eyes with his palm once more, and he heard this voice from a person he would never expect it. Calling a name in such a way, with deep longing, hope and need, without realizing he looked at America, who was looking back at him with the same thoughts inside. Hungary... Hungary lost her pride.
"Please, carry her home and give her a good cup of tea, and some sweets. She likes..."
"Pancakes with marmalade, I know."
Austria stopped in his walking, and watched his friend slowly picking up the long brown haired woman into his arms, whispering small kindness into her hear, to help her calming down. Nothing, beside the almost silent noise of pen scratching paper could be heard in the room.
"Don't worry, now... you're in safe, just lay back and turn your head here. There, there... I'll take you home."
Hungary nodded, they all could see her long, wavy hair moving as she grabbed Prussia's dark blue jacket with her hands and held onto the man, hugging his neck with her other arm, and hid her face in the nation's chest as if it was her last shelter. "Thank you."
"No need for that..."
America couldn't hold himself back, England knew that, he just had to turn his face away, he couldn't bear this amount of affection, after having arguments with England in the morning. He started messing with his fingers, cleared his throat, which helped everyone to be able to focus again... everyone... except one person.
Austria was merely standing. Hands beside his pockets, he was watching the scene, and Prussia, as this person, who was always ironic with everyone, mocking him and his friends till madness was now holding Hungary in his arms, understanding everything just from looking on the weak woman, on his old comrade, belligerent, friend... love... and he couldn't force himself to stop and turn around to say goodbye. He just left the room, and the guard closed the door behind him.
As they left the conference hall, England looked on France again. His friend was somehow... too silent in this situation of love, friendship, and all this artistic things, what for he called life 'beautiful'. He didn't have anything to comment on, or to babble about...? The Frenchman was looking down into his lap, his fingers tangled on the desk, as if he was meditating on something, and as England looked on America, the man tilted his head left, and signed, to leave that way. The blond man stood up; and all nations looked at him, almost at the same second.
"Gentleman...Miss Ukraine... I take my departure for today. We shall return to this topic, as I have promised to Miss Hungary. Please consider all kinds of solutions you can come up with, and submit them on paper to me, or to America. Have a nice evening."
As they left the building around ten, maybe fifteen minutes later, and his fingers were holding America's hand in his, England looked up on the grey, cloudy sky and sighed.
"We will find out something." Said the younger man, and hummed in contentment.
"You don't know how it feels like, nor me. Prussia knows everything she goes through now."
"You mean... to perish...?"