How America Got His Name
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia
This is just a cute little one shot I've had floating around my head for a while. Got some nice good fluff and stuffs going on here. I'm not sure how long it will be but please enjoy.
America, England's newest little colony, and personally his favorite but he wouldn't tell him that, was running around and playing with the wild animals of the area much to England's dismay.
"Sir Alfred" one of the maids called as she approached him. For the staff of the house's sake England allowed them to use their human names. He knew from experience that it was easier to pretend they were just humans that aged really well instead of personifications of countries. "Sir Arthur has returned and has called you in for tea. Hurry and I'll help you wash up" she said.
The small country's face brightened at the mention of his big brother returning back from England. He quickly ran back to the house and the maid tried to keep up with him.
He ran full speed into England who had the breath knocked out of him but managed to chuckle anyway and hug the small boy back.
"It's good to see you America, did you miss me?" he asked and he knelt down in front of him.
America quickly nodded. "Of course I did. You promised you would be back sooner" he said with a pout.
"Ah, I know. I apologize but some important business came up" he said as he patted America's head. "Now, go wash up and you can tell me all about the fun you've had while I was away." America nodded and quickly ran off.
England settled in his chair as he sipped his tea. America had just got done telling him about his fun with the bison and there was now a lull in the conversation.
"England?" America asked softly, which was unusual for him.
"What is it?" he asked as he glanced at him. The boy was staring into his tea cup and not drinking it. "Is the tea not good?"
America shook his head. "No, that's not it… I have a question."
England sat his tea cup down. "Alright."
"How did I get my name?" he asked and England blinked.
"Your name? One of Spain's men gave it to you, remember?" he said. He hated that it was a Spaniard that had given America his country name but there wasn't much that could be done about it.
America shook his head. "No, not my country name. My human name."
"Your human name?" he asked and received a quick nod from America. He frowned for a minute. "That's a silly question, I gave it to you of course."
America sighed. "I know that but why Alfred?" he asked exasperatedly.
England chuckled a bit. "Alright, I'll tell you the story of how I came upon your name." America stared at him expectantly and sat on the edge of his seat. "One day, not too long before I met you I was taking a nap on the hill side underneath a nice shady tree. I heard a small voice talking to me, but when I opened my eyes no one was around so I thought it must be my imagination. I heard the voice again. So I opened my eyes again and there was a tiny little fairy, perched on my shoulder and she told me your name" he said and looked at America who was scowling at England.
"That's not true! Fairies don't exist!" he shouted before storming off. England chuckled and left the maids to clean up the table.
England was in his bed reading a book as there was a small knock on the door.
"Yes?" he called without taking much attention away from his book.
"Sir Alfred has been put to bed" a maid called.
"Ah, thank you. Good night" he called back and heard her walk away. He decided he reached a good stopping point in the book and put it down. He blew out the candle and climbed underneath the covers. He closed his eyes and his mind began to drift to America's earlier question. He sighed to himself and as he fell into sleep he began to remember how America really got his human name.
The year was 1505. Arthur had been a pirate for about ten years now. Although he was the personification of England his crew and the seas knew him as Arthur Kirkland. He was able to quickly fly up the ranks with the first crew he joined and even ended up taking it over when the previous captain died. His swift advancement through the ranks and publicity on land gained him a lot of attention. He wondered if his quick advancement might have been due to the fact that he lacked the ability to die but he never dwelled on it.
He had returned to a port of a small town. He and his crew visited often, in disguise of course, but they came back so often that everyone at the tavern knew them by their (fake) names. There was one girl in particular that Arthur enjoyed seeing. He fancied her company and actually enjoyed talking to her. She wasn't like other women who were boring and uneducated, she was different.
Arthur walked into the tavern with a few of his crew members and took his usual place at the bar. "Hello, Miss Jones" he said with a small smile as he looked up at her who was grinning at him. This was Amelia Jones. He had met her the first time they docked here about five years ago. To Arthur she was absolutely beautiful. She had a round face with lovely pink lips and a perfectly sloped nose. Her hair was short and wavy which was unconventional for the time, but the thing he loved the most where her eyes. She had bright blue eyes. They were so vibrant and always full of life. He loved the way they light up when she laughed or how they could so easily tell her true emotions.
"Hello, Artie" she said quietly. She knew who he was and what he did but she didn't mind. He rolled his eyes at the nickname. "I have a favor to ask you" she said as she leaned against the bar.
"Absolutely not" he said, already guessing what she was going to ask.
"Why?" she whined. "I won't get in the way, I promise. Please take me with you" she begged.
"A ship is no place for a woman, and for that matter behind a bar counter isn't a proper place for you either" he said and sipped his drink.
She raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly a bit. "Any woman, or me specifically?"
"A-ah" he frowned and blushed a bit as Amelia smirked triumphantly.
"So I can come?" she asked with her smirk still present.
"No" he said and looked up at her with a stern expression which caused Amelia to pout. He sighed. "Why do you want to go so badly anyway?"
Amelia sighed. "Because I don't like it here. I want go somewhere else and have adventures."
"And you think that joining a pirate crew is going help you get that?" he asked quietly again so it was just the two of them that could hear.
"Yes" Amelia answered with complete seriousness. Arthur sighed as he looked over her face.
"I don't want you to get hurt though" he said quietly with a small blush tinting his cheeks as he looked away from him. Amelia blushed as well. Arthur glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and secretly admired her face. He didn't want to admit it but he felt something for her, something he hadn't felt in a long time; maybe he would even dare to call it love.
Amelia sighed and pouted a bit as she went back to work, since she figured the conversation was over, and began wiping down the bar and refilling drinks for other customers.
Arthur lingered, actually past closing, as he did quite often when he visited. He sat at the bar and watched Amelia clean up the mess made from the other patrons of the bar. He stood up and quietly walked up behind her. She glanced behind her and noticed him. Before she could say anything he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her.
Amelia blinked. "A-Arthur?" she asked, a bit surprised. "What are you doing?"
Arthur stayed silent for a moment. "I don't know" he admitted quietly. "I don't know what I'm doing or why, and I'm sure I'm going insane but….Amelia, come with me" he said quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.
Amelia turned around him his arms and looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Really? You're going to let me come?"
He nodded. "You can come under one condition. You have to be mine, only mine and no one else's" he said as he looked at her face to try to see her true emotions.
"Alright" she said without a moment's hesitation. Before either one of them could process what was happening Arthur bent down and kissed her. Amelia closed her eyes and happily returned the kiss.
Amelia has been one the ship for nearly six months now and she absolutely loved it. Sure sometimes they didn't have enough food, or there was a water shortage, or even doing work in the hot sun; she didn't mind any of that. She loved the adventure and she loved being with Arthur. Even though they weren't married the two of them had spent many intimate times together and as Amelia had just found out it doesn't come without consequences.
Amelia sat on the edge of the bed and fiddled with her fingers. Arthur was staring at his feet as his mind processed her words. "Arthur…please say something" she said finally after several moments of silence.
Arthur looked at her and opened his mouth to speak but then shut it as he still couldn't find the words to say. This was bad. He didn't even know what to do. Would if even be a normal child since he wasn't even human. He chewed on his thumbnail and looked back at her.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm sure! I've been sure the past ten times you've asked me that question" she said and crossed her arms.
He sighed and stood up as he crossed the small room to her. Amelia looked up at him and chewed on her bottom lip. He sat beside her and pulled her against him.
She sniffled a bit as tears ran down her cheeks. He wiped them away.
"I'm sorry" was all he managed to say as he wiped her tears away. She buried her face into the crook of his neck.
During Amelia's pregnancy, which was the longest nine months of Arthur's life, he hardly ever let Amelia stray from his side. He made sure she stayed safe and out of harm's way. They even stayed docked for her last month so they could be close to a midwife when the time finally came. And that time was now.
He had sent one of his men to get the midwife as he had stayed by Amelia where she laid on the bed in his cabin. Once the midwife arrived he was kicked out of the room much to his displeasure. He paced up and down the hallway in front of his cabin door. He was irritable and snapped at many of his men. It pissed Arthur off that he kept hearing Amelia scream in pain and he couldn't do anything about it. Although he knew it had to be this way and if she wasn't in pain that probably wasn't a good sign but he still didn't like it. He had given up pacing and had sunk down to the floor in front of the door and just waited. He hoped it would be over soon since her screams had become more frequent. After the fifth hour passed everything finally went silent for a moment. Arthur's head snapped up and looked at the door. It felt like the world had stopped, his heart had stopped, time had stopped. His men watched him from a safe distance, also curious about the baby. Amelia had all become like a little sister to them and they, although they would never admit it, worried about her as well.
Arthur released the breath he had been holding as he heard the baby cry. He could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he anxiously waited for the door to be opened. Once it was opened he wasted no time getting into the room and to Amelia's side. He knelt beside the bed and curiously peaked at the bundled blanket in her arms. Amelia smiled and moved the blanked so Arthur could get a clear view of the baby's face. Arthur stared at the small, red, scrunched up face. He never did really like children but this one….this one changed his entire world.
"Don't you want to hold your son?" Amelia asked with a small smile as she looked up at Arthur's awe struck gaze that was glued onto the baby.
"My son?" he asked quietly almost as if he didn't believe it. "My son" he repeated again with a small smile as Amelia gently placed him into Arthur's arms.
Arthur had been alive for a long time, longer than he would almost care to admit, but in that moment he felt the happiest and the most complete that he had ever felt.
"What shall we name him?" Arthur asked suddenly realizing he never once thought of names. Luckily for him Amelia had spent plenty time on it.
"I've taking a liking to the name Alfred" she said quietly as her eyelids began to droop.
Arthur glanced at her before looking back at his son. "Alfred" he said and nodded. "Alfred it will be."
As Amelia rested he took Alfred out and proudly showed him to his men. They weren't allowed to touch, hold, or get too loud or else Arthur would glare at them but the still enjoyed seeing him; of course this wasn't done without them teasing that Arthur had gone soft.
Arthur took Alfred back and laid him in the cradle he had bought when they first arrived at this port. He then laid beside Amelia and held her in his arms while she slept peacefully. He felt so happy he could cry, and though he would die before he admit it, he did.
Although a truth Arthur knew as well as he knew the layout of his ship was that good things never last.
Alfred was five now, he would run around and play with several toys Arthur had spoiled him with, even a few wooden toy men he had made to represent the British guards. In these five years Arthur and Amelia had been able to avoid another pregnancy although if Amelia was completely honest with herself she wouldn't mind it all that much.
They were currently on a dangerous voyage, going to Egypt and they had to cross through Spanish waters. Although most of the pirates of this time period where English there were still some Spanish pirates, and they were fearsome.
This is why Arthur wasn't surprised when a ship spotted them and raised their Jolly Roger. He frowned and ordered their Jolly Roger to be raised and their Spanish flag to be stored away. He quickly scooped up Alfred and pulled Amelia into his cabin. He sat Alfred on the bed who was complaining why he couldn't go back outside. He turned to Amelia and grabbed her shoulders and kissed her. Fear was evident on her face as he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
"Amelia, no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, no matter what anyone says unless it's from me, do not leave this room" he said sternly and she nodded. "I love you" he said and kissed her again. He turned to Alfred and scooped him up again to hug him. "I love you too" he said before leaving the room and locking it from the outside. He felt his stomach twist and turn; he knew this wasn't going to end pleasantly.
All too soon the enemy ship pulled up alongside theirs. Arthur and his crew were ready but sheer numbers over powered them no matter how well Arthur had made sure they were trained. He was so busy fighting he didn't see the foreign men who had stormed past the rest of the crew to gather what they could from the inside of the ship.
He felt his heart stop as he heard the shattering of wood followed by a scream. He turned to see Amelia being dragged out by two men and Alfred being carried by another.
"Stop it!" Arthur roared as he charged towards the men. The captain of the other crew came up behind Amelia and held her hair in his hand causing her to tilt her head back.
"Oh, so this concubine is yours then?" he asked as he looked at Arthur, a smirk played on his face. "And the brat is yours as well?" he asked and then tsked.
"Let them go" Arthur demanded and raised his sword. "Don't harm either one of them."
"Oh, now do you really think you're in the position to be ordering me around" he chuckled. Arthur quickly glanced around him as saw his crew being defeated.
He glanced back as the man holding Alfred dropped him and yelped. "The brat bit me" he said as he held Alfred against the ground with his boot. The captain didn't give as much as a sideways glance.
"Kill him" he said monotonously. Arthur's eyes widened and Amelia began to trash.
"Don't touch him" Amelia shouted as she tried to get to him but it was too late; even for Arthur who was rushing towards the man at full speed. The pirate rammed his sword into Alfred's back straight through his heart. Arthur heard his strangled cry and saw his son cough up blood. Only a millisecond later he stabbed the man the same way he had done to Alfred.
He turned to face Amelia. He saw her face, her face was twisted with pain and anger but she couldn't fight back, she felt numb. The Spaniard captain pulled on her hair again to tilt his head back.
"Do you know I just love families" he said as he locked eyes with Arthur. "It's just a shame that I prefer to tear them apart instead" he said and before Arthur could register what happening Amelia's body fell to the ground. His eyes followed her and he stared at her lifeless body. He looked back up at the captain, unable to move or speak as he saw in the man's hand, held by her hair, Amelia's head.
He chuckled and dropped her head which rolled over to Arthur's feet. His petrified self managed to move his eyes down to see it. Her beautiful face forever stuck in the twisted emotion of pain in anger. Her once beautiful blue eyes, so vibrant and full of life, now stared dully, lifelessly at him. He looked back up soon enough to see the captain just before a sword was run through his chest. He didn't care that he had just been stabbed. He didn't care that his crew was dying. He didn't care that his ship was being set on fire and the Spaniards were leaving. This time as he blacked out he wished he would actually die.
"Hey! Hey! Wake up already!" England jolted up in his bed as something hit him in his stomach. He looked down and saw America had jumped on him and now was pouting as he sat in his lap. "It's about time you woke up" he said and crossed his arms.
England sighed and looked at the window. "I guess I did sleep in a bit today" he said and smiled a bit. "How about I make you breakfast to make up for it?" he asked but America's eyes widened as he climbed off the bed.
"No! Please don't, you'll set the kitchen on fire again. I'll have to go to the doctor for eating bad food" he shouted as he ran out of the room.
England chuckled and moved to where his feet where on the floor. He put his head in his hands and tried to hold back a sob that tried to escape. England had lived a long life but no matter what bad things happen every time he closes his eyes he doesn't seem wars or destruction of his country he only see's Alfred's body and Amelia's head.
America reappeared at the door. "Don't forget you promised you would buy me candy today" he said and jumped up and down excitedly. "Can we go ahead and go to the market already?"
England sighed and stood up. He shoved the memories and feelings back into their sealed box and smiled at America. "Just give me a moment to get ready, then we'll go" he said and watched America happily run off.
He doesn't remember how he got to a shore or how he even got back to England. He spent several months in a complete black out. He has tried many times to remember the events after the death of his small family and he seems to get close sometimes but each time he got closer he would always have mental break down and have to spend weeks alone by himself. He eventually gave up and decided it wasn't worth knowing. That is when he created the sealed box inside himself to keep those memories.
He had done a good job of forgetting until a couple hundred years later France had dragged him to see a small boy. He at first thought it was cruel how an exact carbon copy of his son could be standing in front of him playing with a rabbit but then he realized that, that was the reason he fought so hard to have America. When it came time to name him Arthur couldn't find any other name fitting than the one he already loved, 'Alfred Jones'.
So that is how Alfred was given his name. Will England ever tell America the truth? Probably not but somethings are just better kept as secrets.
There we go. Is that enough for you? Are you happy? ;-; Just kidding. Anyway a few notes:
Amelia Jones is not the female representation of America, she is completely human she just look and acts exactly like her. I know it seems pretty obvious, I just don't want there to be any confusion so I'm stating it here.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review because reviews make me really really happy. Bye bye~