A/N: I'd like to inform that I do in no way, shape or form support abusive relationships and I do not wish to romanticize any sort of unhealthy relationship.

I also wish to disclaim that I do not own Hetalia or anything affiliated with it.

I hope you enjoy this story as much as enjoyed writing it and that it saddens you in the same way it saddened me while writing it.

Dear Herakles,

I realize now that I took too long to say this.

You must forgive me, but I simply didn't realize quite how much this would change.

It was yet another bad morning for Herakles. Had Kiku not been so selfless, he would have called it a bad morning for himself as well; but that just didn't seem right.

Herakles had shown up his doorstep as early as five in the morning this time - and if Kiku hadn't know the man so well, he wouldn't have recognized him.

His face was completely smashed and bloodied, his arm was twisted in a way that shouldn't have been possible, his eye was completely blue and black and he constantly swallowed - as if to keep the tears from grazing his eyes, because it was quite obvious that they already had.

"おやまあ..."

I suppose we both knew that this would happen, sooner or later.

But, before we continue, know that if you choose to ignore this and go back to him I will still be here the next time he hurts you.

This doesn't have to change anything.

But I don't mind if it does.

This was really bad - and they both knew it.

Yes, Herakles had been hurt before, sometimes even very hurt.

But not like this. When Kiku finally managed to look into his eyes, he saw something that scared him. Or rather, he didn't. Before, Herakles had still always had a sparkle in his eyes, an energy. But now, all his energy seemed drained, all his hopes crushed.

It was as if something deeper than a bone had been broken.

I've always loved you, Herakles.

And I always will.

No matter how much you love him, or anyone else for that matter, I will love you the same.

I'm not saying that to make you feel guilt, but rather to let you know something that I've never heard him tell you.

You're beautiful. And I love you. Now and always.

But Kiku chose to ignore that and instead focus on healing the scars that were visible, the scars that he could just fix with the flick of a hand and some needles.

The scars that he could just clean up and bandage.

The scars he couldn't touch, he left alone.

He figured that there was nothing he could do about those anyway.

After all, they were too many. And too deep.

You're more beautiful than anything else I've ever laid my eyes upon.

More than any constellation we ever watched through your binoculars.

You shine brighter than any of those stars I pointed at and showed you when we were laying on our backs on a field in August.

You're worth more than any number of stars I could count on the night sky.

"Herakles…" They always reached this point. The point when Herakles was all stitched up and ready to go back to his turkish boyfriend, that was surely waiting for him.

This was the point when Kiku tried to stop him. So far he had never succeeded, which was why his friend was sitting on his floor once again this morning.

"No. I can't." That was something he wasn't prepared for. Usually, his greek friend wouldn't answer so quickly. The few times he did, he rarely ever said no. He simply told Kiku to wait.

Wait for what? Was what Kiku used to think, but over time he had figured out what the man meant. Wait for him to realise his mistake. Wait for him to be kind again. The list was long.

"You can't honestly tell me that you plan to stay with the man who did this to you." He hadn't meant to sound so rude.

"You wouldn't get it. It doesn't matter what he does - I still remember that first time we met. That time, he was perfect. He was kind, cute. Everything I was looking for. And I just can't seem to forget that part of him. That part of him that still loves me."

I know, I know.

You still love him.

He still loves you.

To everybody else, you're the perfect couple.

But Herakles, I've seen the parts of your relationship that aren't perfect.

And they're not bad, they're horrible. They're inhumane.

So if you ever change your mind, maybe I could be your consolation prize?

Love,

Kiku