I am not obsessed with Hetalia. Thank you very much, Hidekaz Himaruya. Thank you very ----ing much. And also, I'm a geek who censors my own swearing XDXD Songfic featuring "Papercut" by Linkin Park.

Pairing(s): BlackKiku/Kiku, implied Yao/Kiku

Disclaimers: I don't even own "nothing", how can I POSSIBLY own Hetalia or the song? Use your brains, people XDXD

Enjoy!


Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today.

Kiku sat down on the back porch, staring out into the twilight. Clouds floated in rippled lines, painted orange and pink against a red sky. Mothers rushed their playing children home, birds return to their nests and a lazy breeze chased after the receding Amaterasu as if hurrying her to leave. Soon, the dusk made way for night, accented by Tsukiyomi's steady ascend up the heavens. Stars dotted in, one by one, all twinkling cheerfully in their place.

He loved watching this transition for reasons he never knew, for reasons he knew he avoided.

Pochi crept up beside Kiku and barked softly, asking for attention from its master. The ebony-haired nation jerked away from the scene with more force than normal. Upon sight of his beloved pet, he displayed a small, relieved smile. While thin, gentle fingers stroked a furry white crown, he found himself once again gazing at the star-studded night sky.

Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left

Seeing Tsukiyomi amongst the stars, Kiku's heart wrenched at an old memory people thought he forgot. He remembered, of course. Years ago, Yao and him used to sit on a porch similar to his, and they used to chat about everything that surfaced in their minds. They used to do everything together, they used to be inseparable like brothers…Only, just maybe, closer than that. But then, everything went downhill.

I don't know what stressed me first

Or how the pressure was fed

Kiku sighed and stood up, causing Pochi to tilt its head in wonder of its master's actions. Placing his hand on the wall to steady himself, he trudged along the cool roka. Exhaustion had suddenly kicked in for no discernable reason, as it always did on nights of full moon. He could laugh at himself for seeming like a werewolf on such nights. By the time he reached the inner rooms, headaches started to rack every inch of his mind.

"You know how to handle it, but tell me…Does it ever work?"

But I know just what it feels like
To
have a voice in the back of my head

Hearing that mocking tone, Kiku cursed silently under his breath. A belittling chuckle rumbled from that familiar voice, it seemed to taunt every action he performed. With a slowly blurring vision, he fumbled around for the doorknob of the washroom. As soon as he felt the cool metal, he pushed open the wooden door weakly. The harsh white light in the washroom made Kiku's eyes burn, but he could not bear to close his eyes. He knew very well what--or who--he would see once his eyes close…

Like a face that I hold inside

A face that awakes when I close my eyes

"Scared to see me? I'm hurt, dearest Kiku…"

There it goes again. Kiku stumbled over to the sink, where an ornate mirror hangs atop. It was made of iron, yet painted over with a shade of gold that had an antique feel to it. He did not have to purchase such a beautiful mirror--at least, not for that--but, as with other things that seemed to keep happening to him, he never knew why he did. Stinging black eyes stared at the reflection in said mirror. Kiku recognized the face he saw, it looked exactly like him. But it wasn't him, it never was and never will.

Then, he found himself murmuring those words aloud.

"Oh, you do love denying, don't you? I would cut off your tongue, but…well, you know."

A face that watches every time I lie

A face that laughs every time I fall

Kiku reached out to the reflection in the mirror. As the light in the washroom began flickering, he started to see the changes.

His black eyes turned deep crimson, the dreaded hue of fresh blood. His white naval uniform darkened to a soul-sucking black. And the frown on his face curled to a teasing smirk.

"You…" Kiku breathed, his pale fingers touching the ice-cold surface. He was slowly losing consciousness, but he must keep himself awake. He had to, just this once would be enough. Suddenly, the taunting voice whispered into his ear from behind him.

"I'm right here, silly. Why in the world are you staring into that old mirror for?"

So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
That
the face inside is hearing me
Right
beneath my skin

Kiku spun around, only to find that nothing was behind him. Instead, he was overrun by a wave of sudden dizziness caused by aforementioned action. He leaned over the sink, panting as if he had just run a marathon. Then again, the voice whispered in his ear, smooth as velvet yet colder than the ice in the South Pole.

"Aw, is little Kiku alright?"

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It
's like a whirlwind inside of my head

Disoriented and fearful, the nation felt tears run down his face. He could hear Pochi whimpering on the other side of the door. He knew it was worried for him, but he could not let that anywhere near his beloved pet. If he was able to stay awake just a while longer, then it would all be over. Thatwould disappear forever. Just a while longer…

The voice came, still, icier than ever before.

"You're never getting rid of me, dearest. I'm right here."

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

Kiku screamed, falling to the cool tiles of the washroom floor as the light flickered out. Every syllable that said seemed to stab knife after knife into his mind, torturing him without the escape of death. His hands gripped the sides of his head in attempt to soothe the pain. His screams of agony echoed in the dark room, reverberating off the walls and back into him. All the while, that continued to torment him.

"Stop trying, you're never getting rid of me."

Pochi's whimpering grew louder and it began to claw the door frantically. This happened many times before, but Kiku had never screamed as he did, since he never tried to erase that before. Though it was a mere dog, Pochi could feel it when its master was suffering.

"You're never getting rid of me, Kiku. Never. Never. Never…"

It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back
It
's like a whirlwind inside of my head

Pain seared through his skull, burning like flames that destroyed homes and millions of lives. Each pulsing sting stole him further and further away from consciousness. Kiku's throat started to hurt from screaming, but he had no other way to counter the pain or keep himself awake. Tears poured from his eyes as the voice grew louder and more persistent.

It knew it was winning.

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

"You're never getting rid of me, Kiku."

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

"You're never getting rid of me, Kiku."

It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within

After what seemed like an eternity, the pain died down and Kiku's screams were reduced to soft, choking sobs. He had succeeded. The nation sat up against the sink's counter, crying and murmuring to himself that everything would be alright from now on. That would not show up again. Ever. It was over, he made it. He made it. Everything will be alright…

…Then the voice returned.

"I've told you, so, so many times now."

Kiku felt a white-gloved hand caress his tear-stained cheek and lift his head up so that he would find himself staring into piercing crimson eyes. A gasp escaped him at the sight of his doppelganger, in all his black-uniformed, condescending glory.

"You can never get rid of me, Kiku. We're one and the same."

Soft, cold lips ghosted over his, lingering for a second longer than their owner intended. The last Kiku felt and saw before falling into darkness was the smirk on Japan's face.

It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin


Amaterasu: The Sun Goddess or, in this case, the sun
Tsukiyomi: The Moon God or, in this case, the moon
Roka: Japanese exterior hallway...thing.

Me: And I referred to Black Kiku as Japan because writing "Black Kiku" just seemed plain weird. No offense, Black Kiku.

BK: None taken :)

Me: Alright then. Please do leave a review, kind people XDXD