disclaimer: APH does not belong to me.
nor do I own"Dance with My Father Again" (I was too young to even think of what I was saying when it came out. I have no way of owning it)
FACE family! xD A little sad I guess, and I'm sorry for that. Thing is, I was just sitting in my dining room and I thought of the song "Dance With my Father Again" and it made me think.
For a little intro, I grew up with this song. And well If I remember right, the music video is sad too. It shows what the lyrics said, but when you get to the bridge or to the part where the singer goes "Never dreamed that he would be gone from me" the father disappears, and some seconds later it is revealed that the dad died in the war. (;A; DDx) I did tweak in one line.
how this tied to FrUK. I love this pairing. and well I just thought of how France would usually have a gathering and back then dancing the Slow Waltz and any of those other ballroom dances would take place, and bam! FrUK popped into my head. Again England is a girl (my bad guys) and this deals with the Seven Years War. This Story is in Canada's point of view, as he is mainly the one who is raised by both England and France. (I saw France as more of a heavy influence on America when he wanted freedom). and with that, have fun reading!
Canada looked in awe. He was always amazed by how 'Mama' and 'Papa' would dance, especially the Slow Waltz. He was jealous of his 'Papa', he gets to lead 'Mama' through a very passionate dance. The tempo was slow, and well he just wanted to dance with his Mama and Papa too. America. Was a different story. This is why Canada was more fond of Papa. Alfred would always hog Alice. She would reply to his beckoning call, that is, his cry. Francis, on the other hand, would pay attention more to Mathew. He would dance with him, while Alice danced with Alfred. But Mathew knew. He knew that his happy family wouldn't last so long.
Back when I was a child,
Before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high
And dance with my mother and me and then
Mathew loves his mama. France doesn't tell the bed time stories as well as she does. Of course, she would always tell him later, after Alfred. She had to speak French for him. She didn't mind though, he would sit on his papa's lap and she would tell him the stories. He would pretend that he was asleep, that way he can see that France is carrying him up to his room. He'd lay down on his bed, and wait for France and England to kiss him good night. Just as soon as they close the door, he would sit up and look at it. He hugged his teddy and got up. He likes to sneak out of his room. After all, France and England usually danced after getting the children to sleep. Of course, he would get caught watching, and they didn't mind.
Spin me around till I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me
And I knew for sure
I was loved
But he knew that it was going to change soon. Argument. Him and his brother would hide from Alice and Francis when they were arguing. It usually leads to Alice going to the garden and France in the kitchen. He remembers, how guilty his papa looked like. He watched as France pulled his own hair as he saw Alice, burying her face into her hands outside. He saw how Alice would enter the house, all gloomy, and she would reach out to France and hug him. Apologize, and then he would apologize too. A small kiss is shared between them. And then France would embrace England for the longest time. Mathew loved these moments. It showed him what love is like. But he was also scared. Deep inside him, he knew that the conflicts between his Mama and Papa would soon tear the family apart.
If I could get another chance
Another walk., another dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
How'd I'd love, love, love to dance with my father again
Mathew remembered. Alice wouldn't scold at him. No. that was Alfred's job. From time to time, Alice would get frustrated with him. "Please tell me what you want" she would say to him. "I'm pretty sure you don't like to do what Alfred wants to do all the time." she would say. One time, he accidentally spilled tea all over France's paper works. Alice panicked. She was stressed that day, and well her temper wasn't on the best leash either. She screamed at Mathew to hurry up and clean the mess. Mathew was frightened, this was the first time she ever screamed at him, well with anger. He ran to France. France would make him sit and listen. He then would leave the small Canadian country and talk to Alice. He would come back and make Mathew smile. He loves his parents. But of course, France would talk Mathew to do what Alice wanted him to do. After, cleaning up after one's self is necessary. Mathew was scared of the day his parents would leave him.
When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way I would run from her to him
He'd make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Everytime Mathew would wake up, he was scared. He was scared that Mama or Papa or both would be gone from the house. He was scared that they would leave him. He would walk slowly down the stairs until he would hear his Mama singing. He would run down and greet her, of course she would complain about his running down the stairs. Mathew didn't care, he wanted to hug her. Behind her would be France, usually cooking, and well he was there too. But Mathew caught a small detail. Alice's eyes were rimmed with tint of red. He was scared. Mathew was scared to sleep.
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a note* under my sheet
Never dreamed that he
Would be gone from me
The Seven Years War. To Alfred, it's known as the "French and Indian War". Mathew hated his parents for it. It's like a divorce between the two nations. Mathew was scared. Who ever won the war has the custody of them, well the American colonies that is. He was scared. Any moment, Antonio or Gilbert could enter their room and report one of their parents as dead. He can remember, how Alice would cry, how France would scream, and she would retort back. He remembers Alice brushing off France's hand on her shoulder. How Alice would force herself to talk France's language for his sake. ( damn man was so convinced that his language was the language of love that he did not want to learn any other language). Mathew flinched, will America be okay with staying with France? Will he okay staying with England? Mathew was scared. His family was breaking apart.
If I could steal one final glance
One final step, one final dance with him
I'd play a song that would never, ever end
'Cause I'd love, love, love to dance with my father again
Canada misses France. Alice wasn't too strict. She let France visit the kids, but she could not force herself to be around Francis. As time passed by, he began to hate the visits. His mama isn't the same anymore. All of the smiles she flashed at them seemed forced. Her dancing wasn't as graceful, she appeared more stressed. When France would visit, his smiled were full, and well he didn't change much, Until Alice would enter the room. He would go mute. He hated it how France is supporting his younger brother's ideas. An idea of separating from England. Mathew hated the idea, has he not seen what separation did to her? Has he not even notice the changes of her attitudes? Mathew hated France for it. He remembers, how one time, France grabbed England by her hands and he just glared at her. England just stared back, but looked away. He let go, the next day, Canada found Alice trying to cover up a bruise from her hand. The bruise looks like France's hand.
At night, Canada would wake up. He would sneak out of his room and go downstairs. No lights, the living room is empty and dark. He closed his eyes and there he imagined France and England dancing. He walked back up the stairs and silently made his way back to his room. Before he entered the room, he heard something coming from England's room. He walked and took a peak. He opened the door, just a little bit, good enough to see what's going on. There he saw Alice, her face buried into her hands. Canada gasped, and that's when Alice saw him. She quickly wiped her tears away and stood up. "Mathew" she said. "What's wrong?" she asked, opening her arms up to him. Mathew walked into the room, he closed the door behind him. "What's wrong?" he asked. Alice looked at him. "nothing" she said. "did you get a night mare? Would you like a bed time story?" she asked. Mathew nodded weakly. 'please stop making her cry papa' Canada whispered as he hugged the sleeping Alice next to him. 'Please papa. Just dance with Mama again. Please' he finished.
Sometime's I'd listen outside her door
And I'd hear her, mama cryin' for him
I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me
Now he's an independent nation. He didn't get it like America. No. Mathew could not bring himself to wage war on his 'Mama'. He's seen what France and America didn't. He saw her degradation. He's seen Alice breaking down. He couldn't bear to break her heart, so he just waited and asked. Now the world summits, every summit he watched in painful silence. He watched as Alice would force herself to encounter the two countered that broke her. Her smiling and shouting façade, but Mathew could see it, How Alice would look at France every time a certain song plays. How she would refuse ballroom dance invitations, how she would stop herself from dancing in an empty room, how scared she was every time she and France would talk alone. Mathew saw it all. He saw Alice trying to break down her walls, trying to reach out to France, and just asking for one dance. But they all knew that one dance will turn into nine, fifteen, or how many they can do until the night ended or until their feet would ache. Mathew knew it all.
I know I'm prayin' for much too much
But could you send back, the only man she loved
I know You don't do it usually
But Lord, she's dyin' to dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep
And this is all I ever dream
Today, Mathew still waits. Waiting for the time when his 'parents' would dance again. Alice would smile a real genuine smile, her dancing will be graceful again. And Francis will seem passionate for once, serious, and sincere.
* He left a note under my sheets* The original lyrics to this was "He left a dollar under my sheets". I mean why would France have a dollar in the 1700s? So I tweaked it, and I thought that it would be better have France leave Matty with a note.
thank you so much for reading! please leave comments/reviews!