AN: Ah, yes...two stories in such close sucession to each other...odd of me, neh? -sigh- Expect a lot of work from me these days. When I get stressed out, I also get inspired and write like a maniac. -n-

A bit about the story before you continue...This is an AU story, meaning it's my rules and my world, kay? In this fanfiction, Seychelles and France met online, and became really close friends. France has feelings for Sey, who does not know, and does not return them. She is constantly being bullied and beat on, which France hates, obviously. Not a happy ending, unless you see it that way. :/

This was inspired by...: My own dear Seychelles inspired the getting bullied bit...Sey...You better tell me when they do that again. :| I will kick their asses to hell and back. And then some. At first this was just going to be a story where Sey is bullied and France is guilty and such...but it morphed into this AU weird thing because I was thinking about people who had internet relationships. The songs that inspired me were: Eyesore by Janus, Goodnight and Go by Imogen Heap, Missing You by Jem, She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5, Never Be the Same by Red, Tears Don't Fall by Bullet For My Valentine, and Beautiful Love by The Afters. :) listen to them now...

I don't own anything in this fanfiction except for the story itself.

Thank you for reading the long note, and the story if you dare to continue.


Her voice was quiet now, always diminutive and afraid.

(he remembered days when she was the loud one.)

As she spoke, he could practically feel the fright radiating off her from miles away, as if he could see her glance both ways before running across the parking lot to her car.

(he didn't want her to have to run.)

He knew, no matter how many kind and comforting words he told her, he could never truly console her fears. Never truly hold her close and whisper in her ear that everything was going to be alright, and nothing could harm her when he was around.

(when he told her such things, all she did was laugh weakly and halfheartedly agree.)

He hated having to wait anxiously by the phone everyday just to make sure she was alright. That she was okay. That she hadn't gotten hurt again.

(he would've waited years for her)

He would do anything for his dear, precious love, but what if everything wasn't enough…? What if one of these days, they broke her so terribly no one could put her back together? Not even him?

(…and all the king's horses and all the king's men…couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again…)

He knew it was selfish of him to think that he of all people could help her. After all, he was an entire ocean from her. An ocean too far for him to walk across. An ocean too deep for him to swim across.

(why wasn't his love enough?)

But…even as he tried to tread the murky water…she wouldn't allow him by.

("I'm fine. Stay where you are. They need you.")

It was almost as if she were saying she didn't need him.

(that thought hurt more than anything else, but he wouldn't let himself believe it.)

How was it even possible to fall in love with someone you've never met face to face before, anyway? How could he feel such strong emotions for a woman he couldn't even touch…?

(it was so unlikely that he almost didn't believe it.)

And then he contradicted himself, by deciding it didn't matter. Love was love, no matter how far the distance between them.

(time didn't halt his feelings either.)

So even as she trampled on his heart, and told him she loved another man, one who could protect her, touch her, love her like he never could, his love still remained.

(enduring, pulsing faintly in the back of his mind, sending tremors of pain through him.)

Even as she grew happier than he could ever make her with that other man, even as her tears ceased, even as her smile grew and grew and grew each day, he was still too selfish to let his love let go.

(he knew if she knew it existed it would crush them all.)

So he locked his heart and threw away the key.

(never to unlock it again.)