Hello, new fandom! For all of you who don't know me, I'm Sachi! Nice to meet you! Until recently, I've been too obsessed with Durarara! to write for anything else. This idea hit me like a ton of bricks for a Hetalia story though, so of course I have to go with it! My love of anime meets my love of history! I have no chance! So, I'm writing a UKUS story. It'll be a little different, but I think you'll all like it! So, let's get started, shall we?
Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia, or any of the characters. Nor do I own the song 'Counting Bodies Like Sheep' by A Perfect Circle, which is where the title came from. So, on with the story!
Counting Bodies Like Sheep
(A Perfect Circle)
[Don't fret precious, I'm here. Step away from the window. Go back to sleep. Safe from pain, and truth, and choice, and other poison devils. See, they don't give a fuck about you. Like I do.]
The full moon illuminates the tiny hospital room. It's the only light in the room, aside from a flickering bulb in the far corner. The tiny space is horribly empty. Well, almost empty.
But it'll be entirely desolate in a matter of moments.
A dark shadow looms from outside, brought forth from the blackness of the unforgiving nightfall. There is only one reason this shadow is called forth. The reason is simple: death.
The dark silhouette stands over the feeble man in the hospital bed. There is a faint beeping from the machine beside him, but it'll be flat-lining soon. The shadow observes his newest victim brought from the war.
Ever since another great war broke out in the world of the living, the poor shadow of the night had found his schedule packed solid. Ah, but we should introduce him, no? It's dreadful manners to keep calling him a shadow. His name is now Death, even if it wasn't always. And Death will have your utmost respect, thank you very much.
He peers at the poor unfortunate man from under his hood. The blond in the bed is breathing feebly, his entire lower half covered in bandages that are slowly being consumed by red. So that's how this man will die. He's going to bleed to death from old wounds.
Ah, what a waste of a death.
Sighing, Death reaches out to touch the young man, about to grant him his early demise from the world of the living. Fate has a way of teaching everyone a lesson though, and this can include beings in every dimension.
"You're here to take him, aren't you?" A quiet voice asks from behind him. Death whirls around, shocked at the lack of presence in the room. Shouldn't he have sensed another being here with him? More importantly, can he really see him?!
Death finds himself staring into a bright pair of ocean eyes. The owner's face is round and almost innocent, eerily similar to that of the man dying in the bed. He has sandy blond hair, wildly arranged in locks that seem to frame his face. He has a cowlick for God's sake! A cowlick!
"Well? Is that why you're here?" he speaks again.
Death finds himself at a loss for words. It's been so long since he's used his voice. He's never really had to. No one has ever been able to see him before.
"Can I...say goodbye to him first?"
Death nods curtly, stepping aside from the hospital bed to allow the blond to loom over the man that almost shares his face.
"Well... I, uh... I never thought I'd lose my younger brother... Wait, no, that's corny as hell. Okay, I got it! Only you could have joined the Navy and found a way to get blown up before your cooler Army bro! Ahahaha!"
Death feels himself dumbfounded.
"Yeah, you know, because I thought you were too chicken shit to actually die before me... Did you know they're calling you a hero? They're- They're saying you tried to help your roommate escape. I thought it was so unlike you to do that, yet so like you at the same time..."
Death observes the man next to him. The ocean blue eyes are fierce as they look upon the man in the bed.
"You remember how you always felt so unnoticed? Well... I'm sure you'll be noticed now. More than me even! It's unheard of! Mattie, I can't believe you're going to be known as the hero in our family! It's a disgrace because you were born in Canada!"
...What the bloody hell did that have to do with anything?
"President Roosevelt declared war this morning after the attack. Germany will probably declare war on us since we're at war with Japan. So I guess America is officially involved in World War II..."
So that's what the humans were calling this one? The last one was called 'The Great War', but Death assumes that war must have been the first World War now. Silly humans. As if naming the bloodshed makes it any more bearable.
"I swear, I'll get those bastards for this! I swear! You can always count on your big brother! I know... I wasn't always there for you when you needed me... I'm sorry for that. I hope you always knew that I loved you. We never said it because that's totally weird and stuff, but... You know."
What an awkward conversation to be the witness of.
"I'll see you again though. One day. Haha, unless people born in Canada automatically go to Hell or something!"
...Seriously? Is this really the blond idiot's goodbye to his brother? This just won't do!
"Oi, you're acting like you're going to see him tomorrow! He's dying tonight, you idiot!"
The blond looks up at the shadow looming behind him, not an ounce of fear on his face.
"So, Death is British? Who knew?" he laughs.
"..."
"To answer your little interruption, this is how we always talked. It'd be weird to change it now. What's the point? He can't hear me anyway."
"And if he could? Wouldn't you rather him die knowing your feelings?"
"Dude, gay."
"Gay?! He's your brother, you twit!"
"I'm getting a lecture from Death! This must be an epic moment in my life!"
The shadow removes his hood, greeting the wide blue eyes with his own emerald ones. His hair is an ever lighter shade than the American's.
"Is that all you have to say to him? Because if it is, I'll be taking him now," Death says irritably.
"No! No, just- Dammit, I'm not good at this!"
The sandy blond kneels beside the bed once more and observes his younger brother. Hesitantly, his lips brush the other man's forehead, then he recoils and stands beside Death.
"I love you, Mattie. May we meet again someday."
"Now that's more like it!" Death says, pleased for once that this man actually acted like most humans would.
"Kick lots of ass in Heaven!"
...Or maybe not...
Cursing his fate, Death reaches toward the bed and touches the feverish man's chest, feeling the heart stop instantly under his touch. He reaches his list and crosses out the first name.
Matthew Williams, Deceased.
Death pulls his hood back over his head and turns to leave, but is pulled back by a slight tugging on his arm.
"W-Wait... Aren't you going to tell me why Death is a limey? I- I deserve some sort of...explanation..."
The American's voice cracks barely audible over the steady beeeeeeeeeeeeep that has filled the room. The nurses will be in there in a few moments. It's not a good time to play Twenty Questions.
However, something in the young man's face stops him from leaving. He simply allows himself to be held around the wrist.
"Maybe later... How are you touching me anyway? How can you even see me? Are you not human?"
Ah, so Twenty Questions has begun after all.
"Heh... Maybe I'll tell you later."
Cheeky little bastard!
"Well, I really must be going now. You know, things to do, people to kill," Death says, trying to jerk his wrist away from the other man. His attempt is in vain however, because this American is strong.
Footsteps are heard down the hallway.
"R-Really! If you don't let me go, they'll all think you're insane! No one else will be able to see me!"
The sandy blond looks at his shoes, then back up into the hooded face.
"My name is Alfred Jones. I'm a Private in the United States Army, and I'll be shipping out soon to fight the Axis powers. I'm a hero, you know!"
Death is flabbergasted.
"So... You'll find me again, won't you? We can talk again?"
"Seriously? Most people avoid Death!"
"I'm not most people."
And as the room fills with nurses that try to revive an already dead man, and the grip on his wrist loosens enough for him to fade into the blackness, he can't help but agree wholeheartedly with the mystery man.
He's never met a human like Alfred Jones.
[I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and all your demons
I'll be the one to protect you from a will to survive and a voice of reason
I'll be the one to protect you from your enemies and your choices son
They're one in the same, I must isolate you…
Isolate and save you from yourself …]
Sachi: So that's chapter 1~! I'm sure you all have questions for me, and for those of you who don't know, I reply to all reviews in the next chapter! Thanks for reading!