Merger

"How about we play a trick on England?"

America turned around, looking back at the fashionable nation who has asked such a question. He smiled.

"That does sound like a good idea, France! What should we do? Ding Dong Ditch? Prank call England and tell him there's a unicorn outside?"

France shook his head and grinned slyly, holding up a piece of paper. "Close. Take a look."

America peered closer, looking at the form France was holding.

"Marriage Registration Form," he read. He looked up at the evilly grinning Frenchman again. "What kind of weird prank is this, France? I'm not marrying England!"

France chuckled, patting America's back. "Don't worry, you're not actually going to marry England. It's a prank yes? Besides, he didn't accept Big Brother's proposal either."

America slapped France's back. "Of course he wouldn't! Why would you even try that anyway?"

"Big Brother was in trouble back then. Thank goodness he didn't give in," France muttered, looking aside. "Anyway, you're going to fool England with this form. It'll be hilarious to see England's reaction, right?"

"That's true but, I really don't want to marry England even if it's not for real." America said as a matter-of-factly, taking another chug of his soda. "He might get a heart attack from the shock, being the old man that he is." He pretended to shiver. "And we'd have to find a place to bury him."

Say all you want, Big Brother can see the sparks between you two, France thought confidently to himself. But he had to try harder at persuading this young nation to perform the trick. Would England accept America's fake proposal? Probably not. But he still wanted to see his reaction, since England was like a grown up trying to suppress his heart around America. When it came to America, England always acted weird. Coincidence? He thought not.

"Well…" France said slowly, pulling out a notepad. He turned around to hide a wide smile. "I thought England said something about wanting to hang out with you, and maybe this was the perfect chance to do that…I guess I'll just have to ask Japan or Spain to help me with this then~."

A second later, the marriage paper in his fingers went missing.

"It's just a silly prank right? I want to see England's reaction too!" America said, flashing France a thumbs-up, gripping onto the piece of paper. "So how do we do this?"

Gotcha, France thought smugly. "Follow Big Brother's plan carefully, America. And try not to make him mad before you even pull off the trick."

"Yo, England!"

England turned around, teacup in hand. When he saw America the British nation immediately scowled. "Is there something you need, America?"

"As a matter of fact there is! Even if it's from you!" America said cheerfully, patting England's back.

"What's that supposed to mean, you prick?! When asking for favors, do try to sound like you have manners." England turned his back on America, putting the rim of the teacup back to his mouth.

America, you idiot! France hissed in his earpiece. Stop making him angry! Must you two always argue before two seconds even pass?!

"Okay, okay, I get it!" America said back, not even trying to lower his voice. "Geez."

"Good, I thought I raised you to be polite," England quipped, thinking that America was talking to him.

"I didn't know it was this hard though," America mumbled into his earpiece, or so he thought. Apparently England heard him too. His expression softened, and said, "Well, if you give it a try, it might not be so hard."

Seriously, America, don't talk to me! You're going to blow this! Now tell him that you're not doing well. And hold his hand when you do that.

America looked at England's relaxed face and sighed. "If I have to."

"Yes you do," England said. "First of all, make eye contact with the person you're speaking to."

"England…" America said, reaching for England's arm. England didn't move away, surprised that America had moved closer and had such a serious expression on his face.

"What's wrong, America?" he asked, furrowing his impressive eyebrows.

America tried to look sick, failing miserably in the process. "I'm not doing well. Uh…" He coughed into a fist, the sound low and pathetic.

Tell him you're going to die from an economic collapse.

"That sucks. Is there nothing more heroic? I don't want to go down like that."

I told you to stop speaking to me!

"Go down like what?" England's face appeared in America's vision again, concern very clearly shown on his face. It was rare for him to peel off his mask of annoyance and indifference to reveal this side. America gulped.

My boss said with no one to watch my diet, I'll suffer a horrible end!

"My boss said that someone should watch my health so I stay a hero and I haven't really been watching it so…"

"Then hire a maid. Housekeepers are very good at keeping track of what you eat. You're annoying but not below working for, after all."

Tell him you want him, and no one else, since your horrible annoying self will drive everyone else away. And say that since you don't want him to look like a servant, he'll need an excuse to look after you… Marriage for example.

"Hey, that's harsh!" America complained into his earpiece.

How many times must I tell you?!

"Well, certainly you're not a bad chap, but you never listen to anyone so," England shrugged, taking another sip of his tea.

America sighed and started talking again. "But I only want you, England.

"So, uh… I'm going to die if you don't… marry me…" He said slowly. "Err.. my boss said so."

He put the paper he'd been holding in one hand onto the counter, and pulled out a pen. He put that on the counter too.

England stared at him, then at the form.

Here, he'll say that he doesn't want to marry for a reason like that. Then you can say that it was all a joke! Then we can laugh at him. Hon hon.

America stayed silent. He knew what was coming so why was he so nervous? Probably cause England would lecture him on his idiotic taste in pranks after he broke the news to him.

England scratched his cheek. "W-well, like I always say, you shouldn't eat so many sweets… I don't want to get married for something like that, but.." He pulled his arm from America's grasp.

Here it comes!

He reached for the pen, looking away from America. "I guess it can't be helped. You do need someone to make sure you don't spend all your time eating junk."

America blinked. "What?"

What?! I can't say that was completely unexpected, but what?!

England blushed, the hand holding the pen shaking. "I said I'll marry you, git! It'll be even more beneficial for the both of us if we, um, marry."

He turned pinker and wrote his name on the paper.

"There." England looked at America, who was looking back at him in shock. "I-uh-." America cleared his throat." You're- you want to marry me?"

They stared at each other, America in disbelief, running images through his mind. His kitchen would be destroyed, England would welcome him home with a kiss (maybe), his repair bills for the kitchen would pile up, they would take baths together, there would be a lot of disgusting cooking, England would sleep next to him every night, he would make that cute face everyday… Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

One of England's eyebrows twitched. A second later, he suddenly burst out laughing. "America, stop making that face, I know this is a joke."
"It is?" America asked dazed. A joke. It was… a joke?

"I mean, how did you know?!" America demanded. England pointed to his ear. "You have that on you in plain sight. Obviously someone is trying to trick me with you. Did you think I wouldn't notice?."

Sacre-bleu, I forgot to hide that.

"Besides, you'd never try something like this." England smiled. "I figured it out right when you tried to pull of the sick act. You're a pretty bad actor, America." England shook his head, drinking the rest of his tea.

"Haha, you're totally right, England!" America said, slapping him on the back, attempting to hide any remnants of his aftershock. "You probably figured out this was all France's idea too!"

France's voice buzzed again from the other end. You traitor! I thought we were supposed to be partners in crime!

England blanched. "It was France? I'll kill that frog! Why would he plant such a horrid idea in your head?!"

America nodded at England. "Yeah, and he said you said no when he proposed to you for real! Maybe you're not so tasteless after all!" He laughed.

England shook his head at him, "There's no way I could say yes. Even if it was a trick, there'd be no way I'd accept. Now where is France, America?"

"Probably hiding under the meeting table. If you want to kill him, it'd be pretty messy to clean up." America shrugged. "Why don't we relax for now? We've got ten minutes before the meeting starts up again.

"I suppose you're right," England said, slipping his fingers around his teapot again. He tilted his head to the marriage paper. "Well, shall we dispose of that?"

America nodded his head. "Yeah, I'll take care of it before break ends."

He took out the marriage registration form from out of his pocket and laid it on his hotel desk. Sitting down, he took out the pen from his suit pocket and wrote something next to the space where England had written his name. Satisfied, America bent back to admire how the sheet looked with his and England's names side by side.

England had said he wouldn't accept France's proposal even if it was nothing more than a joke, but America hadn't been so dense as to not have noticed the difference in England's response to him.

He smoothed his fingers across the box that displayed "England."

Maybe not now, and not tomorrow, but one day. One day he'd be able to face these feelings head-on and share them with his future spouse.