Monaco is a country rich in history. She's sly, simple, and often ignored. Still, like most out of the way countries, she's beautiful and full of mystery.
America has a reputation in the world as being boisterous, irrational, and well…young. Despite the fact that America basically skipped the 5,000 years (and more) it took for the other countries to get where they are today, he is still regarded with a sigh and a certain level of…caution.
Monaco was out one day and as she was taking her evening stroll, she noticed a stranger just standing outside a museum that had closed a good three hours ago. He was passing back and forth in front of the building as though he couldn't make up his mind whether or not he should go. She walked up to him, sure he was lost.
She may be small, but she found that some tourists got lost super easily.
"Excuse me," she said stepping to intercept his passing. "but could you be lost?"
"Lost?" he said as though the idea hadn't occurred to him. Then a large smile erupted on his face and he said, "Oh, no, not lost yet. I was just sad that the museum was closed and was trying to figure out where to go next."
"I see," she said. Monaco was slightly disturbed by his use of the word 'yet'. But, being the lady she was she thought she should prevent the 'yet'.
"How about I show you around myself?"
Instantly she regretted making the offer. The man grabbed her hands and starred her down with sparkling blue eyes. "Would you really? That would be GREAT!"
Then he ran off. He didn't even look back.
Almost in a panic Monaco followed. She found him starring with those wide, glittering eyes on a historical statue. He bent over to read the plaque, looked up to stare, then read the plaque again. He did this a couple of time then turned to look at her; as though she'd been there the entire time.
"He was a great man then," he said simply.
"Yes," she said smiling up at the statue herself. "He was a good man."
He laughed and grabbed her hand (this time) and began to drag her along.
"Come on," he said, "tell me everything about this place. I only have a few days before I have to go back to work. I want to see everything."
"That's impossible," she said caught between laughing and sighing at the situation she'd just put herself in. Looking up she notice that the man had stopped and was looking at her as though he was about to cry. Then he changed his mind and shrugged.
"O-of course its impossible," he said turning away and continuing to drag her along. "Its stupid of me to think I could learn everything from a country that is so rich in knowledge and facts."
Monaco was no stranger to flattery. But this one was neither empty nor flattering. It was like he was stating a fact that was to be accepted regardless he liked the fact or not.
"How long do you have," she asked pulling him back into a stop.
"About two more days," he said, sounding even more disappointed than before.
"Ok then," she said nodding and thinking. "First you need to learn the language better. Your English accent is really really bad."
"Hey," he said scowling, "Don't associate me with that stiff."
"Huh?" She said raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing," he said, smile back, "where to now?"
That evening was…interesting. So many good things happened with the embarrassing/bad that it was hard to call it a good night or a bad night. One thing was certain, though, this guy wasn't even European.
Could he be Mexican?
"Monaco!" Shouted a familiar voice. France floated into the bar she and the young man was in. They were drinking and playing a hand of cards.
"Hello France," she said nodding. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, of course, but," he looked the young man up an down. Then he leaned in a little closer and said, "So how was America today? Isn't he simply awful?"
"America?"
"'scuese me Frenchie'," he said with a sarcastic smile, "You can talk all you want if you want to play. But other than that, no one asked your opinion."
"But you're America?"
"It makes me sad to know you don't know my face," he said frowning a little. "But then again, I've never been here and I really wanted to see it with my own eyes."
"To what? Blow something else up?" France said.
"Better than siding with Germany when it came to exterminating the Jews," he shot back.
"Enough you two, I will NOT have you fighting on my lands," she snapped hitting both of them.
"Yes ma'am," America said, suitably chastened. She held back a grin.
"Really Monaco," France said rubbing his chin. "You shouldn't-"
"Don't you go telling me what I should and shouldn't do," she sneered. "Now we are in the middle of a game and with this last hand, I'll clean up! So go away!"
France left, his roses wilting.
"No way," America said, his glasses glinting in the dim bar light, "I've got the sweeper right here."
"If you're so confident then why don't we lay our hands down at the same time," she said blowing on her nails and fanning herself with her cards.
"Alright," he said with an almost childish grin.
"1…2…3…GO"
"Three Queens and two Aces!"
America sat there and smiled. His chin resting on his hands, and below, on the table, were three Kings and two Aces.
"But how?" She cried dismayed.
"I get lucky," He said, his grin was widiner than she liked. "I do happen to have a lot of it."
"I guess," she said. A sore loser she was not.
Sitting back she thought (and hoped) that the next two days would be just as interesting.
