I don't own Hetalia. All respective characters belong to their respective owners. I'm simply taking the characters off the shelf and playing with them. This story is more of a personal AU since I do personify the States. Also America is aware of magic, although his approach to it is different. I do use human and nation names interchangeably.
Alfred was bored. He was doing his best not to let his face fall flat on the table. He shifted in the plastic chair again, exhaled and forced his eyes to stay open.
G20 meetings were miserable. He only agreed to their whole enterprise because New York and California had been insistent. At this point, he'd just taken a recorder with him and taped whole meetings, letting his states parse out the details. It was always a treat to hear their running commentary (not so much when his presentations came up).
Spain was up right now. Antonio was usually pretty good at keeping things moving, but for whatever reason, Germany seemed adamant in questioning him on almost every point of his presentation. Alfred went through this once, which prompted him for future meetings to prepare all the important stuff in a packet and send it ahead to each of the members so he wouldn't have to deal with this. Have a question? Review the packet. Have a comment? Scribble it in the packet. Need a further explanation? It's probably answered in the packet. Please read it thoroughly before interrupting his presentation. Can't read English? Please contact your local embassy for assistance. Thanks!
It didn't help that Germany and Spain were presently at loggerheads over money. The way Antonio fumbled his English (usually very good) leaving him to glare at Ludwig as he attempted to barrel through last year's quarterly earnings disrupted the flow of the meeting, drawing it out. Alfred wasn't certain why the European drama had to carry out here, he got more than enough drama from his own states.
Ugh, now they were passive aggressive arguing. He was going to be here for days. Alfred tipped his chair back on its hind legs and let his neck loll over the rim of the back support. His presentation was way better. It even came with a soundtrack! California helped him pick out the selections.
It was gonna be epic. Now if Germany would just shut up and let Spain finish, he could get his rodeo started.
His pants buzzed.
It startled him so much that his chair tipped over and he crashed on his back. About two seconds later he heard clapping from at least three people and Australia's whistle. Alfred scrambled to his feet, noting the other two were Canada and New Zealand (figures) with England pinching the bridge of his nose in an "I can't believe I raised these idiots" expression.
"Nice job, bro," Matthew smirked.
Alfred sent him a dirty look on principle as his thumb swiped across his phone. When he looked at the message, his eyes widened. "I gotta go. Oz, I'm sending you my presentation." He pointed toward the doorway, "Popcorn and sodas are in the next room."
"Everything all right?" he heard Matthew ask.
Alfred looked up, grinned and winked, "Classified."
Canada rolled his eyes. "When you manage to get home, tell Colorado to pick up some Molsons."
That jolted Alfred's brain to the side for a moment. He looked up and peered at Canada, trying to decipher the mystery behind that statement. Canada's expression deadpanned.
"Don't tell me you forgot."
"Give me a minute," Alfred said.
"Cheyenne," Canada drew out the word.
"Stargate marathon, right!" (Also, NORAD, but present company didn't need to know that.) He ignored the wearied look Matthew gave him.
"Right, got it," Australia confirmed, then grinned as he opened the file. "You can count on me, mate."
"Cool." Alfred waved to all present. "Laters." He then dashed out of the room.
Delaware had given up on attempts to pull herself out of the tub. The back of her head thunked against the porcelain basin. All she could really do was wait. She still couldn't believe that she'd forgotten her schedule. She was usually pretty good at sticking to it.
'Too many things on my mind, I suppose,' she thought. She rubbed a hand over her face and sighed. With her other hand, she lifted up her phone, which she'd managed to swipe just before her predicament fully entrapped her. She checked the battery power and found it was very low. Chewing on her lower lip, she decided to forego playing games, instead wanting to keep the line open in case Alfred needed to call.
She waited for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually, though, she felt the presence of her nation grow, until she heard her front door close.
"Ingrid!" The shout was muffled slightly by the closed door.
"In here, Alfred!" she shouted as loud as she could. A few hurried footstomps later, America burst into her bathroom. He blinked once, then twice, then smirked and shook his head.
Delaware was completely naked in her bathtub. That in itself wasn't much of an issue. America had seen all of his states naked at some point in their history. (Chasing after a toddling Alabama who simply refused to believe in clothes had been an especial challenge.) All of them had seen him naked at some point, too. The issue was less exposure and more…form.
Delaware's upper half was perfectly and humanly normal. Her lower half displayed a long, muscular tail with glittering blue silver scales and flailing gossamer fins. The picture of a traditional mermaid.
It was an odd condition that both she and Alfred attributed to her Nordic progenitors. For whatever reason their energies had mixed poorly with North America and left Delaware with this hybrid form. Alfred had mitigated the condition, but Delaware still had to revert to her original form for three days once every month. They'd simply tagged it to the new moon.
"You forgot what day it was, didn't you?"
"Yeah…" she blushed. "But my governor's kept me so busy, I just…forgot."
"I thought Henry was your emergency contact," Alfred said as he pulled open the door to her linen cabinet and pulled out some towels. His tone wasn't scolding, merely curios. Delaware normally had a system in place in case something like this happened and Pennsylvania was usually a part of it.
"He's in Boise with Eli," she said mournfully. "They were going mountain hiking, but I got the weeks mixed up and when I tried calling him, it went straight to voicemail."
Alfred dipped the towels in the bathwater. "And you didn't want to call Mary?"
Delaware shuddered. Maryland was fine as a neighbor and colleague, but she also tended to be clinical and…sciency. Delaware felt vulnerable like this when she wasn't in the water. She'd trusted Pennsylvania with this side of herself a long time ago. They had shared a government, and he'd been so little and young when she first met him. He was very different from his older siblings (and New York), bumbling and nervous, curious and full of wonder of all the things about him.
Quakers were such strange creatures.
"Heh, guess some things don't change. Even after all this time." Alfred had finished laying out the towels on the bathroom floor. He took her phone and laid on the sink next to the tub. He then reached under the small of her back and about where her knees would have been. Delaware threw her arms around his neck as he lifted her out of the water and lowered her onto the wet towels. He wrapped them around her tail. Freshwater wasn't ideal, but the most important thing was that her tail stay wet.
"Have a bikini top of choice?" Alfred asked.
"The blue one with the white flowers," Delaware said, "it should be in the top drawer of my dresser."
Alfred disappeared. Delaware blew out a breath and rested on her elbows. This was not exactly how she wanted to spend the rest of her day, but there were some things she simply couldn't help. Being a mermaid once a month was one of them.
"I'm really sorry about pulling you out of your meeting," she called.
"Are you kidding? You totally rescued me from abject boredom!"
"I thought you had a presentation prepared?"
"I did, but Germany kept interrupting Spain. It was taking forever to get to me." Alfred reappeared, bikini top in hand. "Besides," he smiled, "rescuing mermaids is way more fun." He knelt beside her, placed his warm hands on where her hips would have been and slowly rolled her over on her stomach. He then threaded the bikini top between her chest and armpits. "All right, one arm," he said.
Delaware supported herself on her left hand as she put her right through the proffered hole.
"Next arm," Alfred continued.
Delaware repeated the action on the other side. This left Alfred to fit the top to her chest and tie it snugly in the back.
"All right, are your girls all situated?" Alfred asked, completely unabashed.
Delaware experimentally flexed her shoulders. As far as she could tell, everything was secure. "Seems okay," she said.
"Cool." She felt Alfred kneel next to her. He rolled her right into his arms towels and all, and lifted her in one smooth motion. She threw her arms around his neck again to steady herself, even as he adjusted her tail in his arms. She'd forgotten how big Alfred was. She was so used to Pennsylvania who was quite short and although he possessed a strength that belied his stature, carrying her was always a bit awkward for him.
Alfred was tall and broad and he handled her as if she weighed nothing at all. He smiled, "I've got you," he assured, kissing her forehead.
A warm glow flowed through Delaware. It was the same sort of sensation that she got whenever her nation was close and within hugging distance. Alfred was the light of summer, the wind of the open road and the sweetness of lemonade. She could feel the echoes of the other states within him: Alaska's arctic, Arizona's desert, Oregon's lush forests, Iowa's plains, Louisiana's bayous, and Pennsylvania's hills. She kissed him back, fierce and insistent.
"I chose you first," she whispered. She had no idea how many times she'd said that phrase over the years, but she always felt compelled to remind him.
"I am glad." He always answered her, in a tone that still seemed amazed and relieved at such an event. As if her "yes" was the only one holding the entire Union together, that so long as it remained in place the power of its spell could never be broken.
"Stay with me," she pleaded, "at least until Henry gets back."
"How long is he supposed to be away?"
"A week from two days ago," she answered.
"Well, you're going to be busy for three of the five remaining days," Alfred indicated her tail. "Why don't I come back when you're done being a mermaid? Then we can wait for Henry together."
Delaware considered. "I suppose," she finally mumbled.
"I'm putting you into the water," Alfred pecked a kiss on the side of her head, "I'll pull you out of the water, too. Symmetry, ya know?"
Delaware smiled. "All right," she agreed.
Alfred carried her to her blue sedan, opening the passenger door he carefully settled her into the seat. He buckled her in, so the belt would keep her from sliding down. Not having load bearing hip bones was about the only terrible thing that came out of this experience. It was nigh impossible for her to move on land.
Alfred shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. He moved the seat as far back as it could go and climbed in. "We're headed to Lewes, right?"
"Yep!" Delaware affirmed, "You can rent a boat there and take me out to the middle of my bay."
"Heh. Take it the guy knows Henry?" Alfred referred to the boat renter as he started up the car and turned out of the driveway.
"Yes, Eddie knows us quite well," she smiled, a little embarrassed.
"So what's my excuse?" Alfred asked. This was a change in the normal schedule of things after all.
"You're my brother!" Delaware's smile turned into a grin.
"Seems legit," Alfred agreed. They both had blonde hair and blue eyes. While she certainly resembled Sweden in appearance, she'd inherited Finland's eyesight. It didn't match Iowa's (they didn't call him "Hawkeye" for nothing), but it was still among the best in the Union. "It's been awhile since I've been to Lewes, and they've probably moved things around."
"Since 1941? Yes." She huffed, "I'm still mad Japan ruined our anniversary."
Alfred cringed. It wasn't so much Kiku anymore, just the flashbacks of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Sometimes it was him, sometimes it was Hawai'i whose flashbacks would then ricochet back to Alfred.
One of the downsides of being a Federal Power.
"I still came for our bicentennial," he pouted. "I didn't have any problems then."
"That's true," Delaware conceded. She paused, "Wasn't that the Christmas that England came to visit."
"Yeah…" Alfred's mind stumbled over those memories. England got stark raving drunk that year and made Massachusetts mad…again.
"It's a good thing Washington knew Nova Scotia's number. I don't think I saw Catherine that angry since the Revolution."
"Art's got that effect on her, especially when he's drunk. Kitty doesn't help matters either. She inherited too much of his temper."
"I'm surprised she didn't deck Nova Scotia."
Alfred smiled. "He brings her Christmas trees. And he knows how to sweet talk her."
"You're okay with this?" Delaware knew how protective Alfred could be with them, even in the presence of trusted allies.
She watched Alfred sigh. His expression became muted and indecipherable. "It was easier before 1917," he finally said. "I do wish Catherine all the happiness in the world, but their relationship can bring up bad memories for both me and Canada."
Ah, yes. That was true. They may not have had the internet or phones in those days, but Delaware had been aware of the activities in New England. Massachusetts and Nova Scotia were, in many ways responsible for the events that led to the death of Acadia. It was with enormous irony that Nova Scotia chose not to join them during the Revolutionary War.
"You didn't really react when you found out about Washington and British Columbia," Delaware pointed out.
"BC doesn't have Nova Scotia's baggage and Washington doesn't have Kitty's temper," Alfred said. "And they're equal opportunists when it comes to me and Matt."
"You just enjoyed seeing BC piss off Ontario by singing 'America the Beautiful' on Canada Day."
Alfred didn't deny that. His blue eyes slid over to Delaware and sparkled. An easy grin climbed up his face, turning almost devilish. "S'one of the reasons I don't mind Washington blending the border a bit."
"Even if he sang 'God Save the Queen' on Independence Day?" Delaware raised an eyebrow.
Alfred's expression turned surprisingly indifferent, "Just so long as he remembers to sing 'Marshal Wade's Verse'." That devilish grin came back. "It's the version of the song I grew up with."
Delaware facepalmed. "You're an awful person. You know that?"
"But you love me," Alfred reached out and took her left hand, expression bright and full of enthusiasm.
"I do," Delaware admitted, taking her nation's hand and squeezing it. "So much."
They chatted about various other things as Alfred navigated his way to Lewes. It was an easy enough trip, with traffic lightening a little the further south they went. Once they were within the town's limits, Delaware directed him to Eddie's Boating Rentals. Alfred pulled into the parking lot.
"How's your tail?" Alfred glanced at the towel covered appendage.
"It's okay," Delaware said, "But you should probably hurry."
Alfred nodded. He disappeared into the building and Delaware could only hope that Eddie was busy enough that he wouldn't break into one of his normal episodes of verbosity. They really needed that boat.
Waiting was an eternity. Delaware could feel the moisture from the towels evaporating by the minute. The last time her tail dried out, she was stuck as a mermaid for much longer than three days. She'd had to have Pennsylvania cover her absence, and an irate Governor to explain herself to when she finally did manage to regain her legs. It'd been a very tricky thing, but she managed an excuse that satisfied him. It was only in the 20th century that she was able to convey her condition to her Governors. The most recent ones seemed to be the most understanding and gave her a lot of space. She cherished that greatly.
Alfred eventually reemerged with a thumbs up sign. He came around to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. With great care he unbuckled Delaware from her seat and hefted her into his arms.
"Ready to set sail?" he grinned.
"Yes, Captain, I am," Delaware declared.
"Then," Alfred's foot shut the passenger door, "let's go."
They were at the marina in no time. With longer legs, Alfred had bigger strides. Although he tended to move fast anyway. The boat he'd chosen was sleek and stylish, a bit bigger than the ones that normally caught Pennsylvania's eye. This one clearly favored speed.
Once aboard, Delaware's eyes widened. The interior was luxurious. Alfred gently laid her in a seat (again buckling her down so she didn't slide), and went about starting up the boat. Its engine purred as Alfred smoothly navigated it toward the open water.
Delaware decided not to ask how much this cost. When and where possible Alfred was capable of absolutely spoiling his states. It was a terrible habit that many of them, herself included, were reluctant to address. She liked the attention, she liked him clothing her in nice things, comfortable things. It was always hard to say 'no' to. She liked being loved.
But the bills added up eventually.
They came to a stop. Alfred turned to her and she smiled as he took her breath away. The sun was hitting his hair just right, turning it a brilliant gold. The reflection of the boat and Bay was illuminating his sky blue eyes, and when he smiled back at her, he was terrifyingly beautiful.
She was so used to Pennsylvania, whose lines were softer and brown eyes gentler. His demeanor more scholarly and down to earth. America had harder, more defined lines than Pennsylvania, more vivid coloration than Canada or Sweden, their paler palettes affected by their proximity to the Arctic, and he was leagues ahead of England in expressiveness.
She was suddenly gathered into his arms, which prompted her to hold on to him tightly. The towels finally slipped away and her tail glistened and glimmered in the afternoon light. Alfred started to walk towards the edge of the boat, but Delaware stopped him.
"Wait!" she exclaimed.
Alfred went still. "What is it?"
"Just…" Delaware struggled, "could you just hold me for awhile?"
Alfred blinked for a moment before a softer, quieter, and more intimate expression flowered across his face. His smile was smaller, but full of love. "Only a little while, Ingrid. I don't want your tail to dry out."
"It won't," she promised as she settled against his chest. "I miss you when you're away," she said softly. "We all miss you."
She felt Alfred kiss the side of her head. "Little Delaware," he murmured.
As the warmth and strength of his arms enveloped her, she badly wanted to scream 'Stay with me!' She could almost feel the ghost of his wings enfolding around her and she sent an enormous burst of emotion into their connection. The effect probably echoed among the rest of the states, but Delaware didn't care. Alfred soothed it back down.
"I'll stay on continent for a little while," he said.
She wanted him to stay forever. Geopolitics be damned! They should reinstate the policy of isolation and tell the world to take care of itself. He was theirs! He belonged to them. He belonged with them.
"Ingrid," Alfred said, breathless, "Ingrid, your claws are digging into my back."
Delaware blinked. She pulled her left hand away and realized it had metamorphosized into its mermaid form. It had gone scaly blue with long bone colored claws and webbing in between her fingers. She blushed as she realized the same transformation had taken place with her right hand, which had torn through Alfred's shirt and whose claws were now indenting the space in between Alfred's shoulder blades. "Oh," she said, gingerly retracting her hands, drawing them close to her own chest. "Sorry."
"S'all right. It happens," pushed his shoulders back to flex the muscles supporting them. He settled back down. "I'm right here, Ingrid." He firmed his grip on her for a moment. "Everything'll be okay."
She nuzzled his collar bone.
"Everything'll be okay," Alfred repeated, softer, but more determined. "I miss you, too."
She felt a thread of emotion wind its way from America towards her. It curled up next to her core wanting to love and be loved. She took it up and cradled it against her heart. And thus nation and state remained for a little while, in silent exchange of emotion and simply being in one another's presence.
Yet as the minutes ticked by, Delaware finally felt her tail approaching an inflection point. She reached up and tapped Alfred lightly on the shoulder. America shifted. "Ready to go?" he asked.
"Yes," Delaware replied.
Alfred lifted her up again. This part was never graceful, no matter his previous efforts. So he tried to make it as fun as possible. With two big heaves, Alfred tossed Delaware into her bay. The water easily swallowed her up and she was soon out of sight.
Alfred took a moment to fold his arms on the edge of the boat and rest his chin on them. He could still feel Delaware against his heart. She was swimming and full of ocean currents and sea shoals. He could feel her power spread out across the Bay and the wind suddenly sharpened. Alfred inhaled the smell of saltwater, his memories flitting toward his youth.
A stinging 'POP' sounded next to him.
He started a bit, completely caught off guard. When he looked to his right, he found himself confronting a young man, about as tall as Delaware, but more darkly colored. He had tan skin, dark hair and eyes hidden behind a nice pair of shades. He was dressed in torn jeans, a faded red t-shirt overlaid with a black leather jacket and a pair of well used sneakers. A haze of purplish light and black smoke dissipated from the outline of the figure, along with the image of two small batwings, two goat horns, and a long thin tail with an arrowhead shape to its end.
"Hey Rick, how's it goin'?"
"You're back early," the young man observed, almost accused.
"Ingrid needed my help," Alfred said.
"Figures she'd call you," the other muttered.
Alfred wasn't quite sure how to take that phrase. It was sometimes hard to tell if New Jersey was insulting his audience or just being sardonic with them. He was certainly more prickly than Delaware, and was one of the more stand-offish states. Alfred preferred to default with the assumption that New Jersey had no desire to be touched at all. He also preferred to default with the assumption that New Jersey was being sardonic.
"How long are you staying?" New Jersey asked. His hands remained in the pockets of his jacket.
"I have to leave for Colorado soon," Alfred said, "but I plan on staying on the continent for awhile."
New Jersey digested that information. Alfred could see his eyes narrow behind the sunglasses protecting them. The expression indicated the state thinking through a particular calculus, one whose end Alfred couldn't quite decipher. New Jersey could be dangerously quiet sometimes which tended to put his nation on edge.
Alfred very, very carefully reached out and lightly tugged on their connection. He tilted his head to the side, an inquiring expression on his face. "Is something wrong?"
A flash of anger passed over New Jersey's face, but it soon morphed into something more sullen and dejected. "No more than usual," he sighed, "And no," he glared at Alfred as the latter's expression fell, "it's not just about you and your frequent absences."
Alfred cringed.
New Jersey rolled his eyes. "Look, are you coming back this way anytime soon?"
Alfred glanced toward the water, "I promised Ingrid I'd come back once she was done being a mermaid and wait with her for Henry to return."
"I'll crash that party," New Jersey said. "I'd… my house is a mess right now." He reached up and scratched the back of his neck. A nervous habit he'd never been able to shake.
"Okay," Alfred said in a lingering unfinished tone. He eyed the agitated, unsettled demeanor that seemed to pervade his state.
New Jersey sighed. "Stay in house for a little while, alright Al?"
Alfred smiled. "I plan to, Rick."
That seemed to satisfy New Jersey. He didn't smile, but Alfred could see his shoulders and face relax. "I'll see you in a few days," he said. And with a whirl of purple fire and black smoke New Jersey POPPED out of existence.
Alfred ran a hand through his hair as he sat back down in the pilot's seat of the boat. Apparently he had a lot of catching up to do. He turned the craft on. It purred back to life and left a trail of foam as he took it back to Lewes' marina.
"And that concludes my presentation," said Spain.
"Thank you, Antonio," Germany said. Spain glared at him, but Ludwig ignored it. "We will now move on to America's presentation." The German motioned to Australia.
"Right!" Australia stood up. "But first, some refreshments."
"That's hardly necessa…"
The Australian promptly ignored him and darted out the door of the conference room.
Ludwig gave an almost imperceptible sigh, "Did you teach any of your former colonies manners?" he directed to England.
"They've learned about as much as Bayern has," the latter responded unperturbed.
Germany's eyebrow twitched, forced to accede the Briton a point on this.
Canada hid a smile at the exchange. Bayern was the German name for Bavaria, who was the largest German state by area. He was very old, even by European standards. A successor to Raetia, a province of Ancient Rome, he'd gone through many incarnations over the centuries being a duchy, a province, a kingdom, and a state. He'd almost been lost during World War II, but Alfred had managed to revive him and return him to Ludwig's care. To Matthew's knowledge, he'd been a pistol ever since.
Australia returned, pushing a cart of bags full of popcorn and bottles of Coca Cola. Matthew inhaled the enticing smell of melted butter and sea salt. The conference room instantly recalled to him the air of a movie theater, which had probably been Alfred's intention.
He joined Australia in handing out the refreshments, but was a bit surprised at how quickly England snagged his. The latter also graciously accepted a pair of disposable chopsticks from Japan before returning to his seat. When he did, he cracked open the bottle of soda and put away half the contents in one massive swig.
Matthew resisted the urge to sigh. He'd seen this during Arthur's imperial days whenever his economy experienced a massive expansion in a short period of time. He also knew Arthur always tended to underestimate exactly how hungry he actually was.
Taking an extra bottle and bag, Matthew walked around the conference table and gently placed them beside the first two Arthur had retrieved himself. The latter was notably puzzled at Matthew's actions. Matthew smiled and resisted the urge to roll his eyes and shake his head. "You're going to need those," he said instead.
England placed a hand on the second bottle. His astonishment melted into contemplation, before a small, barely there hint of a smile flowered from the result of this work. "Thank you, Matthew," he said quietly.
"You're welcome, Arthur," Matthew said. He returned to his seat content.
Australia dimmed the lights and started up Alfred's presentation, deftly pushing the files from his phone to the conference room's media center.
The iconic music of Star Trek (the original series) greeted their ears, along with Alfred's voiceover.
'Space: the final frontier. This is the report of the United States of America. Its mission: to test the financial viability of a manned voyage to Io. The pros, the cons, to boldly estimate what no nation has estimated before!'
"This isn't in the packet," Ludwig protested, flipping through the somewhat thick stack of paper America had handed him earlier.
"That's not the point," Kiku said gently. "Just sit back and enjoy the presentation Doitsu-san."
For all of its deliberate implausibility, Matthew certainly did.
In a break from most fics featuring the States, I don't necessarily treat them as America's "children." The State of Delaware has an interesting history having legally been founded by Sweden with the establishment of Fort Christina in 1638 and given the name "New Sweden". However, many of its settlers were Finns (Finland having been attached to Sweden at the time). Due to volatile political changes in 17th century Europe, the colony exchanged hands at least two more times, before accompanying the Original Thirteen in 1776.