Because I (relatively) promised that I would do one, and that there needs to be MORE USCan stories (like ACTUAL pairing not like we are brothers and have our own lovers kind of thing) though like for my other story, I do not know when I will be able to update and work on it since I am neither a writer nor a good one.
I WILL SAY THIS FIRST: Though this story will have snippets of USUK in it, this WILL end up USCan no matter how LONG and HARD that road might be and if any of you wants, demands, or whatever that this fanfic be USUK, I will personally take my tablet pen and stab it through your right eye.
On a second note: This uses my other fanfic, Through my Eyes, as a prequel but this is not its sequel as TME is a stand alone and the backstory (plus it's pairing free, but OH SO FULL OF SLASH). Saying that, this fanfic MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS for TME since I haven't finished it yet. And just as a warning, there IS a small spoiler for the next chapter of TME near the end of the chapter so uhh... watch out? XD
Thirdly: This is most likely going to be a heartbreaking story (not unlike TME) because like I said before, I HAVE THIS INABILITY TO WRITE HAPPY STORIES though I guess on the upside, you KNOW it will end up USCan (Oh God almost typed "USUK" by accident). So like ENJOY IF YOU'RE GOING TO READ THIS STORY!
Until he falls in love
Chapter 1 - Love is not possible
Nation persons cannot fall in love.
Rather it is impossible for them to feel the emotion.
But how could they?
Living for many, many years, sometimes without any semblance of aging and forced to watch the humans around them age and die. They were supposed to be made without attachment.
But they could be attached or love other nation persons couldn't they?
No, that is also quite impossible.
All brought into existence in times of strife and war, thoughts of only being the most powerful nation were in their minds. To conquer or be conquered, that was the only path to take during the beginning and then later, to survive.
Sure, it was possible to make alliances with other nations, but that is not love. That is only a relationship that benefits both parties. Once that benefiting relationship lost its value, so did the alliance. One nation could be an ally one year, an enemy the next. Such things were never certain.
And thus, love is not possible.
If a nation person longed for another's touch, they may do so. Finding comfort in another human's or even a nation person's body is only slaking their lust, like quenching their thirst or filling their hunger. It was not love.
They are the personification of their nation, they are supposed to strong and unwavering. Love would make them weak was the natural consensus. So they are devoid of love.
And although, nation persons are unable to feel romantic love or whatnot, there were two exceptions.
The first one was the United States of America, Alfred F. Jones.
On a land far away from where all the battles originated from, where the wars to conquer were a common occurrence. America grew up away from all that, even that battle for ownership over his land he had no idea of. Alfred easily came under England's entourage without even knowing the whys.
It was uncertain whether or not Arthur just got bored of being the tyrant that he was, or he just decided to try something new, but he showered affection onto the child, Alfred, befitting a human family member. It was the closest thing to love that they both felt.
And yet, America felt it wasn't enough for him; he wanted freedom.
So he threw away that small bit of love that he had and as he watched the pain pour down on himself and his former caretaker after 8 years of war, he felt his heart twinge just a little bit. But for his freedom, he ignored it.
Now many, many years later, his freedom is assured and his country his own with its own problems, wars, depression and so forth, America is looking back at the past. The time with Arthur, the times which were more carefree (besides the wartime at the end). It was something certainly close to love he felt back then and now he wants that back.
He wanted Arthur back. Alfred was certain that what he felt was love.
How could Alfred feel that emotion love?
It was not like he was the only nation that is not involved in the affairs of Europeans or Asians or anywhere on that big chunk of land but there were still some things that set him apart from the other nation persons.
Besides the fact that he had the "love" of Arthur's, Alfred was one of the first nations to successfully secede from his "mother country" and in a short span of time (from a nation person's standpoint) became a world superpower. There was nothing that that nation person could not do.
Especially love.
Other nations in his eyes were either enemy or ally, there was no in between. Well, besides useless or not worth bothering with. And so he "grew up" with no distinction of that it was wrong to love another person or nation. He was an exception to the rule of "no love".
So here he was, in the middle of the conference room of world nations staring at his love interest, Arthur Kirkland.
And he was stuck.
Alfred did not know how to go about to capture of heart of his "fair maiden" (though he would've been pummeled to death by said "maiden" if he heard him calling him that) and Alfred was certain he tried about everything.
Like trying to put forth his ideas during meetings to make himself look smarter (though inadvertently rejecting every idea that Arthur had put out), like giving gifts to Arthur (though hamburgers and failed experiments were never choice gifts for the bushy-browed man), or like just appearing everywhere Arthur was just to be near the man and be in his line of sight (though appearing in the bathroom or bedroom when he was sleeping was probably a bad idea). Alfred even went to his house to try to clean it up for him (though he managed to break a few expensive artifacts and burned a few precious books while he tried.) Everything he did just made the man angrier at him!
Though Alfred F. Jones is a superpower and is capable of love, the man had no tact.
And so Alfred sat on his chair and stared longingly at his love interest.
Had other nations been capable of love, they would've noticed the love struck face that Alfred pulled every time he was near the Englishman or even just looked in the direction of said man. But they didn't and they thought that that face was just Alfred's normal dopey face.
No one knew better. Except one, the other exception, Matthew Williams, the nation person of Canada.
From the same piece of land as Alfred, Matthew was of the northern part – the colder part, so to speak. And yet, Matthew Williams was anything but cold. He was compassionate, kind, sympathetic, empathetic, caring and above all, forgiving. Also, he was possibly the only nation person who grew up with a talking polar bear. Actually, probably the only talking animal.
All traits unlike a normal nation person.
Matthew did not care much for war, did not have that many enemies, and had an abundance of allies. He was more of the peacekeeping kind. Even when he was "younger", he never desired to conquer other nations or steal their lands – he got his current lands by negotiating or just plain bought them. Matthew did not fight for his own means.
But that didn't mean that he was weak. No, he was anything but that, the World Wars had proved that, his economy strong and his land full of resources. Though his country was not a superpower, due to low population and not enough military presence or whatever (probably he will never have a larger military since he disliked wars and the like), Canada was still one of the stronger, strongest countries in the world.
Matthew was possibly the nation closest to being a human.
So it is no surprise that he could feel the emotion love.
But it is a surprise to whom he fell in love with.
Alfred F. Jones.
His southern neighbour, occasionally called his twin though they were not twins at all – neither born nor even born at the same time since nation persons do not enter the world like normal humans – they just had the same face, and practically the source of all Matthew's problems.
It was a wonder really.
Matthew first entered the house of Arthur and Alfred when he was given to Arthur as a prize in a war and Alfred was at first hostile towards him but after a year, he finally warmed up to him.
Matthew was grateful for it. Especially when their caretaker, Arthur, always had to leave constantly overseas to tend this own country and Matthew had the misfortune of always being overlooked by Arthur.
Alfred was always there for him.
For 12 years, or actually less, Alfred would dote on him like a true older brother as Alfred grew faster than Matthew until Alfred wished for independence and after an attempt to take Matthew with him, Alfred left and never looked back. And then 1812 happened and Alfred was gone forever from his life.
It wasn't until after Matthew became his own country that he met Alfred again but Alfred acted as if he had never met him before. Matthew was fine with that, as long as he was friends with Alfred once again, he would be fine with anything.
When was it did he fell in love with Alfred?
At the beginning? When they were kids together? When he left? When he came back? Matthew wasn't sure but he knew that he loved Alfred.
How could he not? After going to Alfred's aid for every little disaster his country came under or every war he declared or been declared against, how could that be anything but the sign of his love? Especially when Matthew loathed anything to do with war. But Matthew knew if Alfred and his country went to war, is going to war, Matthew would be right there beside him, on his side through thick and thin. Like the Afghanistan war, like 9-11.
Not to mention the fact that America and Canada have the longest undefended border in the world even though, Canada especially, had every reason to "defend" his border after two invasion attempts from his southern neighbour and that silly 'manifest destiny' crap that Americans so heavily believed in back then and maybe even today. But no, Canada, Matthew, left it undefended. For him.
But Alfred didn't know, or maybe didn't care.
A shadow. Matthew was certain that's what he was to Alfred. Always there and yet barely noticed. Matthew was cursed with a perpetual forgetfulness of him and occasionally invisibility and of course he noticed it. He may be kind but he wasn't stupid.
Maybe his invisibility and forgetibility (if that's a word) was caused by how human-like he was?
But he let it slide, after being neglected so many times in the past, he couldn't bring himself to care. As long as he knew he was doing something right, that was fine with him. Matthew learned from an early age that optimism is always best especially when everything seems hopeless.
Matthew knew about the unspoken rule, point, or whatever that nation persons are unable to fall in love (though they could easily bed each other) and he was resigned to the fact that his love will never be returned. And like Alfred, all he could do was watch his love interest.
That was how he slowly realized that Alfred could too feel love but that love was not directed to him but towards their old mentor, Arthur.
Matthew watched as every sad attempt, if you can call it that, to gain the love of the Englishman ultimately fail beyond any relief. He watched as Alfred would fall into a small depression after every try until he got another great (very very bad) idea and then proceed to try it on the poor unsuspecting Englishman.
Now, Matthew mused as he watched Alfred's face and expressions, it would seem like that American had given up and, like himself, decided to just leave it at almost stalker-ish gazing forlornly at the man.
As the other nation persons moved to leave the conference room since the meeting was over, Matthew thought he should help Alfred get his love interest. After all, Matthew had long given up trying to get the American's heart but that didn't mean Alfred should give up on his love. There was a still a chance that Arthur might like Alfred back, especially considering the time when Alfred was still Arthur's colony. And even after he left; Matthew who had the misfortune of sharing the same face as Alfred was called Alfred many times by Arthur. Surely that meant that Arthur felt something for Alfred on some level right?
It was decided! He would help Alfred. Since if his love is happy, that means he would be too right?
Matthew leaned over to his left – Matthew had always sat on the right of Alfred though it seemed that Alfred never noticed – and whispered into Alfred's ear.
"Why don't you just tell him?"
Matthew ignored the face that said 'who the hell are you?' before it changed to a face of shock. Matthew smiled.
Had he knew how much it would pain his heart and soul, he would have just minded his own damn business.
Notes:
Yeah so I made this so only Alfred and Canada and no other can "fall in love" because I do not like stories where everyone is in love with someone else since it makes everything messy, ruins the storyline, and in general, it just plain ruins the sanctity of love and makes it look cheap. What I am aiming for is not high school puppy love where you just want to like someone for the hell of liking someone, what I am aiming for is love that encompasses a person's heart and soul and entire being - which is what I am depicting Matthew's love as (though Alfred's, not telling ;D). Though some stories are fine with side pairings or what have you, I just want this to be America and Canada, Canada and America. Sweetest love out there that noone sees ;_;. ... It's not incest - I hoped I made that clear. They just have the same face! There's a difference!
Did you see the spoiler? If you didn't ALWELL. You will see it when I get around to ACTUALLY starting chapter 12 of TME XD.
Oh written this storyline because of my EXTREME dislike of USUK (CAN YOU TELL?) but IRONICALLY, it's a good plotline so I'm using it *irony irony*, and the fact that if you read stories (or doujinshi) that is USUK and has Canada as a side character, Canada is always depicted as a person who has no love of his own and is HAPPY to aid either one of them in their exploits of love. They usually show them as what the world uses Canada as, AS A FRICKEN RESOURCE BUT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THAT CANADA IS SOMEONE/A COUNTRY TOO! And I am like WHY? So here it is! Canada's/Matthew's side of the story of ALWAYS helping and ignoring his own bloody feelings for others!