The meeting on the river

Hetalia: United States of America

CityXCity: PuebloXBozeman

Warnings: Soft yaoi, slight cussing

If you do not like yaoi (boyxboy) then I suggest you hit the back button.

Disclaimer: Pueblo (José) and Southern Colorado (Meeko/SoCo/South) are owned by me, Bozeman (James) and Montana (Sam) are owned by my friend. However, neither of us own Hetalia, it is copyrighted to the all mighty Hidekaz Himaruya

James walked quietly from the house after speaking with South. He kept a smile on his face, though it was small. It was a slightly chilly night. The wind rustled the leaves softly as he walked further and further from the house. He didn't want to let her go, but something told him, she wasn't for him anyways. Maybe it was the fact he still struggled some days with his sexuality. Maybe it was the fact that he really didn't like being put in a situation like that. But whatever it was, it had told him "No. Let her go." and so he had. He traveled though the woods till he came to the river. The very same one he had tried white water rafting down just three days prior, without the raft. Something he lacked was that little nagging voice that told him if that was a good idea or not, and judging by the nasty cut on his forehead, the rafting idea, was not a good idea after all. He sat, sighed and threw a rock into the soft flowing water.

Lost, not just the feeling; but truly completely lost was poor José. He had been walking through the woods for what felt like forever trying to find his way back home. Why was he walking alone in the woods in the first place? Too clear his mind of course. It had been hell for him all week; not only trying to help South with guy troubles, but also with having been rejected by his long time crush. After walking by the same damn tree for the third time, he finally picked up noise off to the right of him.

James sighed slightly till he heard a noise off to his left. A footstep? But he was alone...or he thought he was anyways. After a moment of listening and looking he shook his head and picked up another stone. "Women... can't live with them. Period." He sighed again and tossed the stone into the river. He then picked up a blue one and inspected it. It wasn't a rock. He pocketed the stone and picked up a regular piece of stone, inspecting that. Why him? To James, he seemed to have the worst luck a guy could have. He couldn't keep Girlfriends. He couldn't keep Boyfriends. He was seriously thinking about just giving up at that point, for, what was the point? More disappointment when the next person say's they feel more for the other person than you? Or get cheated on completely... That was his love life.

José took a step to the right, stopping dead still after stepping on a stick. After a while, he slowly and carefully walked toward what sounded like a rock being tossed into a river. Reaching the edge where the tree line met the sand bar, he spotted a lone figure sitting by the water. 'Odd, I didn't see a house or any "no trespassing" signs walking around.' He thought. Very slowly and stealthily, he walked up to the figure, seeing it was a (cute) male human, and asked sweetly, "What's a cutie like you doing out in these woods all by yourself?"

James jumped a bit as the figure spoke, tensing up. He could tell it was another land. That was natural instinct, but he'd never had friendly run inns' with random lands that came to the Bozeman area. "I u-uh... Just... Sitting here." He lied, watching the figure out of the corner of his eye carefully. He wasn't afraid to fight back with this one should the other male attack first, but he still hoped it wouldn't come down to that. But after a moment, he took another look at the male. He was tall, dark and, need he say very good looking. He blushed ever so slightly and looked away. No. Not again. He heard an owl hoot off in the distance, a friendly familiar sound of a Great Grey during its evening outing. He sighed again, reaching for another rock.

Seeing the other tense up, he very calmly walked over and sat down beside him. Looking closely at him, José could tell he was land, and very good looking for a human in fact. Not knowing if he was a State, City or Town, smiled friendly like at him, he said, "I can see that, but why? And don't be scared, I'm not going hurt you."

He looked over at the male as he sat down, relaxing ever so slightly. "I uh... Just let another person I loved go...we didn't date or anything it was just kind of...I had a crush... She knew... but she has feelings for someone else and I figured she'd be happier with him instead…" He shrugged a little and looked up at the stars, breathing in the cool crisp air of night, holding the rock in his hand slightly before pulling out the sapphire quietly and looking at it again, sticking it in the water to wash some of the dirt off. It wasn't big, but it was nice to look at. "What about you? What are you doing all the way out here? I know you're not from around here, I'd know who you were if you were." He looked up at the dark haired male, an eyebrow raised slightly.

He frowned at his loss, but tenses slightly at his question. Scratching the back of his head, José answered, "Uh, well, I kind of got lost walking around clearing my head. It has been a long week for me, having to deal with helping my Madre figure out her guy troubles and being rejected by my crush as well. I do apologize for trespassing onto your land though, mi amigo." Biting his lip, José looked off towards the river. He started to wonder if it wasn't such a good idea to be talking with this land. But even if he looked closely like the intimidating Montana, he certainly was a head turner.

James sighed slightly and tossed another rock into the river, pocketing the sapphire again before placing his forehead against his arms. "Relationships suck... They tell you they love you, then they turn right around and say 'but I have a crush on this guy, too...' then you feel like the best thing to do for them is let them go, because you feel you aren't good enough anymore if they were second guessing it." He shook his head. "People suck. That's all there is to it. Personally, I think I'll just give up on it." James shrugged slightly, and then looked at the other sideways. "Sorry... Random ramble." He pulled his head away and wiped a little blood off his arm from the irritation to the wound.

Petting him on the back, José gently said, "Come now, I'm sure there's someone out there for you! You just need to open your eyes a little more and look." Seeing his arm, he frowned and asked, "What happened to your arm amigo?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." He said quietly, taking some of the water from the river and washing his forehead off. "Besides, it's not my arm, it's my forehead. And as for opening my eyes, trust me. I have. And everyone I've found turns me down or finds someone else. Though from what you've told me you can relate…" He shook his head, hearing a coyote yowling in the distance, but he didn't tense, or show fear. It was home for him. He knew he was home when he heard those noises.

Sighing, José scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders gently. "Well, then that makes the two of us." He sat quietly there for a bit, and then suddenly realizes, "Here we are, talking about how crappy our lives are and I don't even know your name handsome." He said, blushing slightly, smiling.

James blushed bright red at the feel of the others arm wrapping around his shoulder, then even more so at the fact he'd just been called handsome, a name he hadn't heard since his first boyfriend who, because James was stupid and got with a human, died of cancer at the age of forty two. "I'm not handsome...but my name is James Gallatin Zachrisson...The City of Bozeman, Montana. And you are?" He looked away, blushing still.

'Ah! So he is a City." José cheered in his head. 'And he's so cute when he blushes.' He added as a last minute though. Still smiling, he answered "I'm José Carriedo! The City of Pueblo, Colorado. It is very nice to meet you mi dulce." Taking James hand gently, he kissed his knuckles, loving the blush that colored his cheeks.

James looked at Jose quietly in shock. "U-uh... w-what..?" He meant what as in 'what did you just say' and 'what are you doing and what was that for?' He didn't speak a drop of Spanish. He watched the city of Pueblo quietly after that, really not sure what was going on. Handsome...a kiss on the knuckles... what was he doing? What did he mean by all of that? They'd just met for God's sake! He was so confused at that point his eyes may have been swirls in his eye sockets, like the ones seen in the cartoons.

Seeing the confusion on his face, José chuckled softly and replied, "I said; it's very nice to meet you my sweet." It was weird, but looking at James made him fall head over heels in love with this man. 'Love at first sight is a very powerful way of knowing you found the right one.' José could hear South say. He was always a sucker for sappy romance, be it books, movies, fanfics, even couples he sees on a daily basis. "And as for the kiss, it's my way of greeting a handsomeman such as you. But let me ask you this, do you believe in love at first sight?" Shot in the dark, but it were that or never have this once in a lifetime opportunity again.

The city of Bozeman blushed and looked away, thinking. "I'm...I'm not sure to be honest with you." He said quietly, playing with the bottom of his shirt, a little bit of skin over his lower stomach showing. "I...never really put a whole lot of thought into the whole love at first sight, thing." James looked up at the other male again then back at the bottom of his shirt, showing right at that moment he was not a naturally dominant person. He was small. His brown hair was short, his green blue eyes soft and shy at that moment. He was short, and not thickly built like his father figure, Montana was. But he was muscled enough from work in the wheat fields just West of Bozeman.

'Shy, very lean in built, almost uke-like. There's no way he can be related to Sam." The Hispanic male thought. Then again, he looks almost identical to his Tio Spain, given a few extra inches in height and slightly more buff in built, but they're hardly related. Oh god and seeing that flash of perfect skin just now, almost made him want to rip open that shirt and claim it as his. "R-rather you believe it or not, I sure do." He said, cursing him self for stuttering. He leaned in slightly closer, quietly inhaling the smaller males sent.

James could almost see the gears turning in Jose's head, over what, he wasn't sure. He did look a lot like Spain, which didn't set his mind at ease any. He knew Spain, France and Prussia had been friends for a LONG time; obviously not everything he heard was true, but regardless. When the other male stuttered, he relaxed. It seemed he was almost as nervous as he was, or something down that line. "U-uh... o-okay…" He leaned away a little bit, really not sure what Jose was doing moving so close, and he heard the other inhale slightly. "You're not going to eat me are you...I really don't taste good..."

Chuckling, José said, "No, you just smell really good."Still keeping an arm around James shoulders, he took his free hand and gently placed it under his chin, turning his head towards him a little more. Smiling, he continued, "You don't have to fear me, mi dulce, I'm perfectlyharmless." José didn't know what it was that brought out this sweet, gentle, caring, romantic side of him around this man.

He tried to keep his head from being turned but after a moment he obliged, looking at the other male straight in the eye. 'Wow...' he thought silently. Okay...maybe he did believe something to this whole 'love at first sight' thing after all. "How would I know?" He spoke quietly. "I've never met you before tonight in my life."

Starting to get lost in those blueish green eyes of James, he replied, "Because I was taught love comes from being kind and respectful of others, and I'm terrified of what Sam might do to me if I happen to hurt you in anyway." And terrified he was. After hearing some stories from America and just seeing the man in person, the city of Pueblo was down right terrified of the State of Montana. No matter how much convincing it took from SoCo, saying he was just a big teddy bear and how wonderful he was with little kids, José still wouldn't believe it.

James averted his eyes elsewhere. "Sam isn't that scary...he's got a soft side to him... and he knows I'm not fragile… I can handle myself." Even though he was frozen on the spot unsure of what was going on. It felt a little strange. He'd just let this land's mother figure go, but he knew now for sure that Southern Colorado wasn't for him. She was just...a bridge. That was the best way he could describe it. A bridge from being a lonely city to finding another city just like himself who, though at that moment in time he wouldn't admit it, he had fallen in love with right on the spot.

"I still think he's scary." Pueblo replied, shrugging. Suddenly, the urge to kiss this man became almost too much. Leaning in ever so slowly, he thought, 'this might land me back into a broken soul if he pushes me away from what I'm about to do, but at least I'll get to kiss this handsome hombre once.' Leaning in until there was almost no space, he took a deep breath before lightly pressing their lips together.

James struggled, surprised by the action of Jose, but after a couple seconds he relaxed, actually feeling safe with him, and kissed the male back softly. It was a nice warm kiss; one that said 'you are safe, you are loved.' and 'wow… was he a good kisser' went though his mind. He blushed a little deeper, eyes closing in contentment.

'Don't hate me, don't hate me, don't- wait, he's kissing back. Ay dios mio he's kissing back!' José was so thrilled; he deepened the kiss slightly, closing his eyes as well, wanting to taste more of James. God, this mans kiss is so addictive.

He lingered in the kiss, moving a little bit closer to Jose before breaking it, hiding his face against the other man's shoulder. "I...don't know what came over me…" He mumbled against Jose's shirt, breathing in ever so slightly, taking in more scent than Jose could in that short whiff. Again...he wouldn't admit it...or...maybe he would at this point. It was kind of obvious now that he'd kissed the land back.

"Neither do I," José panting softly, "But I like it, and I really like you." A blush colored his cheeks lightly as he spoke. His heart and mind were racing out of nervousness and worry. 'Oh no, oh no, nononononononono, he's going to laugh, he's going to tell me off, I know it.' He thought; worry starting to show in his face.

James looked up at Jose and smiled a little bit, a bright red blush still tinting his cheeks. "I...l-like you, too..." He said quietly, nuzzling his face against the other man's chest, hearing his heart race. Had he really made him that nervous?

Hearing those four words made his visibly relax. 'He likes me? Ay dios, he likes me!' José mentally cheered. For the first time in his life, he actually felt that empty feeling in his heart fill up. Letting out a sigh of relief, he looked down to the other city and asked, "So you won't mind being my boyfriend then?"

Bozeman looked up at Pueblo and shook his head in reply before hiding his face again. God what was he doing? Was this going to work? They'd literally just met each other like ten minutes ago...maybe it was longer, he'd lost track of time. But whether or not it worked out was in the future, for right now, it was the present, and that's what really mattered to James. He took a deep breath and relaxed against Jose quietly, smiling slightly, happiness covering his face. The night's events had worked out in the end after all.

Smiling a big bright smile, José leaned his head down slightly and kissed the top of James head. "Good, I wasn't going to take no for an answer anyway." He joked, wrapping his arms around the smaller male, pulling him closer. Resting his chin on top James head gently, he whispered, "Te amo, I love you."

"Je t'aime, aussi." he spoke softly, nuzzling his face against Jose's chest, breathing in his scent again. He really did feel safer in his arms, which must mean something, right? "But, why is it me? What makes me special...?" James looked up at him. "There are thousands of other lands you could've had...humans, if you wanted to put yourself into that situation."

"You won't believe me if I say this amor, but just having you here in my arms, and that kiss, it all felt so right." He said, his eyes softening. No other man in José's life filled the hole; it was James that filled the empty void. He really could not explain it, but James was his missing other half.

James didn't reply to that, just smiled and sat up. "Let's uh...go back to my place and I'll make something to eat...?" He didn't really want to make Jose think he was weird or anything.

"Sure!" after helping the other up, they walked hand in hand back to the house.

And so begins many millenniums of their immortal lives together, not as two cities, but as two beings starting their journey together as lovers, and later on as husbands.

((*AN: Two weeks, three days, 8 pages and 3,208 words later I produce... This... R&R please!*))