I am the representative.

I am the essence.

I am the very fabrication of what this land stands for.

Their blood is my blood. Their thoughts resound in my head. I lay here trapped within stark white walls watching through dazed eyes the symbols of all I exist for. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These three idealogies that make up my soul, skin, and breath. Without them I am nothing. Above me she hangs, Old Glory, the star-spangled banner. I reach up to run her cloth through my grasp, barely feeling.

I'm dying.

I fall back against the sheets, breath rasping in my chest. I can barely keep my eyes open, all I want to do is close my eyes and sleep. They blame me, I know they do, but I'm merely the representative. There's nothing I as a man; if I can even be considered a man; can do. Every bad decision reflects on me, pumping more pain through my veins, putting me to sleep in the meetings. Matthew is always coming by for me, trying his best to keep his withering brother comfortable.

I glance out the window, across the tops of the trees to blue Baltimore skies. I can smell the sweet spring blossoms and so much as I long to traverse across the memorials and enjoy the warmth of spring all I can do is lay here in disrepair and pray for it all to end. Just brace myself and wait for the strength to return to me as it did all those years ago. I've been in worse conditions than this. I've seen the purity of the death bed. All white around me while the rest of the world ran around consumed with thoughts of their own problems. He was there for me through it all, I thought with a smile. No matter what I was never truly alone. Matthew would never abandon me.

"Al...?"

I look up, forcing open tired eyes to meet his wide violet. He was dressed for the season, a simple shirt t-shirt bearing his red leaf and blue jeans, wrapped in fluffy white coat and the scarf I'd bought him on our birthday last year. he was nothing extravagant but somehow that simplistic beauty was what I loved the most about him. Matthew came closer, propping up pillows to help me upright. Long fingers trailed over my chest, his eyes shaking with repressed tears.

"You look terrible.."

"Heh.. I've been worse." I smile in spite of myself.

"I know. I know." Fingers trailed through my hair, placing a gentle kiss to my brow. Matthew knew me better than anyone, sometimes even better than I understood myself. It did not matter what we had been through hundreds of years prior. Matthew was not the type of man to hold a grudge. He knew no vengeances as the others did. Certainly the Canadian got upset with me but sibling rivalry was to be expected between us. Arthur always favored me, Francis favored Matthew. The two pit us together constantly trying to prove which was the bigger, better brother. I was stronger, Matthew was smarter. I was rebellious, Matthew was loyal. I was once again on my knees while Matthew stood on the sidelines watching me fall apart.

We were complete opposites but.. maybe that's why we worked so well together.

"Don't you get sick of dealing with me...?"

He fixed me with those bright violet eyes, slowly curling his fingers around my cheek. I recieved no answer, only a deep, warm kiss. "No... Never."

And I knew those words were the truest of any declaration I had ever heard.

"Come on, Al. You shouldn't be all cooped up in here when it's so beautiful outside. Let's go see the cherry blossoms!"

He gently helped me up, the Canadian's arm coiling tight around my waist. I blinked, amazed to feel how strong he was against me. People underestimated Matthew, he was stronger than people gave him credit for. I could feel it there, simple and snug against my waist. It was tiring playing the hero all the time. I could be myself with him, I didn't have to be strong. I could break. I could hold onto him and fall into the tender security of those arms without having to worry of being judged.

And I knew, so long as he was there at my side, I could make it through anything.