Warnings: None, except maybe some patriotism and egotism. (It IS America after all. And he has a big head :D )
Summary: America knew what the other nations thought of him. They told him often enough. He was loud. Obnoxious. America had a hero-complex and spent too much time sticking his nose in where it didn't belong.
A/N: This is an introspective piece on America and his thoughts on what the rest of the nations think of him. The reason I wrote this was not to upset anyone or try and justify his behavior. It's simply because I'm an rper by heart and wanted to see if I could delve beneath the layers of Alfred's actions, while keeping him in character. I thought I would share here and hope everyone likes it. I definitely tried not to let it sound like he was being overbearing. If someone is offended, please let me know. I totally did not mean to be that way. I hope you like it! I'm not usually a writer and actually am pretty nervous about putting my stuff out there. So, Without further ado.. Here goes nothing!
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. I do not own the character of Alfred F. Jones, though I do live in his nation.
America knew what the other nations thought of him. They told him often enough. He was loud. Obnoxious. America had a hero-complex and spent too much time sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. He was too young to understand what it truly meant to be a nation. He had too much power for such a young nation. America was silly and never took problems seriously. He was too proud. America knew this. Contrary to popular belief, He wasn't an idiot. He understands where they get their opinions, but he was who he was and he had his reasons.
The reason he was loud was to be heard. Maybe it was the theory that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Maybe it was the lesson taken from his brother. Canada was quiet. Looked over. America would never let the nations over look him. He would not be ignored. He had fought hard to be heard. Honestly, it's not like he was the loudest nation anyway. He didn't understand why he was singled out. Prussia was way louder than him. So was Denmark. But, Prussia was no longer his own nation. And Denmark was not the powerhouse it was a thousand years ago. Maybe in a thousand years, America wouldn't be either. But, for now he was. So if he spoke over the others, maybe it was because he had something to say. Maybe what he had to say was silly. But, everyone deserved a right to say what they wanted. That was the core belief of his nation. Of his people. All men have a voice. All people have a right to be heard. Dumb ideas included.
Does he have a hero complex? Of course he does. He is a hero after all. His firm sense of justice and what is right and wrong. Even if it's not shared by others. His will to save the little man, it's bitten him in the butt before. But, he won't change that just to please some older nations who believe he should just shut up and learn his place. One thing he has learned in his relatively short life. Your place is where you carve it out from. You take your place, or get to stay behind and take what is left. Make them fit around you. No backing down from your honor. No sacrificing the less fortunate to circumstance. He was America. He would save them all. And if he couldn't, he wanted to make sure he had done his best. He wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't.
What was youth in terms of endless life? Perhaps he hadn't lived for millennia. But, he had faced hardship. He had taken his liberty. His freedom. America hurt the only one he had loved for this. He had to watch as Iggy, (England, his father, his brother) watched as he fell to his knees before America heart broken in betrayal. America's heart bled too. But, that was not about him. It was for his people. His country. His nation. He needed to be free. So America gave them that. Even if it hurt him personally. He does not exist for himself. He exists for them.
America understood hurt and betrayal as well. He understood how shaky a nation's foundations were. He watched as less than a hundred years later, as his own people tore themselves apart. He bore the scars of the schism between North and South. He stilled remember those days of madness and horror. As, brother fought brother. As son fought father. He remembered. America carried each death and wound on his heart, of each man or woman who gave their life for the belief in him and the ideal set forth by the founding fathers. Their wish to protect that belief. He might not be God. But, he carried each name on his soul. Those were HIS children. And they had fought and died for him. To be less proud and loud and brave, would be a betrayal to their pride and bravery. Their sacrifice. So, youth be damned. He had earned his place. He had fought and destroyed and rebuilt himself before and he'd do it again if he has to. With his people.
Yes, he was proud. PROUD to be America. Proud of his people. Each and everyone of them. They meant the world to him. Proud of their accomplishments. He had made mistakes. America was aware of quite a few. But, every nation made mistakes. Even old nations made mistakes. Greece's economy was bad too. Did everyone poke fun of Greece and say he deserved it? No. Because, Greece was Greece and America was too proud. Fine. He could deal with that. America would always be proud. He wasn't willing to negotiate away his pride and he knew his people wouldn't want him to. America served as a beacon of hope in dark times. Or at least he tried to. A sign that there was a place for everyone in the world.
America knew one thing that the other nations tended to forget. While he was loud, and boastful and proud. He was also a part of them. Sometimes, at night, America liked to lay in the quiet and open himself up to the people and land. He could hear the snippets of French, Greek, Spanish, Italian. He saw them. All nationalities and colors. All races and religions. All gathered with him. They were his. But, he really thanked the older nations. For without them, he would not exist. America was a part of each and everyone of them. And even if they didn't agree, well.. It was okay. He could live with that. He would always try and be the Hero. It was just his nature.