A/N: So, I have no idea what took me so long. For those of you who care, the next chapter's already written, so it won't take nearly as long... If this chapter seems a bit repetitive, it's supposed to. The song belongs to Green Day. Enjoy~!
"Hahaha, I feel like I've become an old man."
"You've become an adult."
ooo
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
America sat on the bench for a long time that evening after abandoning his storage shed cleaning.
Clouds had been gathering all afternoon, and they rumbled overhead, threatening to burst at any moment. He gazed up at them, toying with his empty coffee mug as he thought back on the memories he'd unearthed earlier in the day.
Like my fathers come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
He remembered those little toy soldiers, small but fierce, determined to win whatever battle their owner decided to have them fight. He and England had played with them when ever England had time to visit.
He remembered meals, tenderly prepared. He'd always look forward to those the most, that first welcome back dinner, the big Sunday breakfasts.
He remembered the good times, but he also remembered the bad.
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
He remembered when England had become cold, controlling.
He remembered the arguments, the yelling.
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
He remembered the war.
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
America remembered how much leaving England had hurt.
Wake me up when September ends
Back then, America hadn't known why everything had changed so suddenly, but he realized now that he'd known for a long time. His youth had been a lonely and scary at his brother's house, but England had been the light in the darkness, the hero that could banish any monster under the bed. But when he wasn't there, America had to learn how to be his own hero, to fight the imaginary forces of evil without anyone to protect him. He learned to become independent, and when England returned after his longest absence yet, America realized that he didn't need him anymore.
His brother was holding him back.
And England just couldn't accept that.
To him, America would always be 'little brother.'
And America wanted that to change.
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
They'd fought, they'd fought, and they'd fought.
And America finally proved that he wasn't a child any more.
He was big, and he was strong.
Ring out the bells again
Like they did when spring began
He could be a hero, too.
Wake me up when September ends
Drops of water began to fall from the sky, falling onto his glasses and soaking his clothes, but America didn't even notice. He was too immersed in memories of his brother, half wishing there had been no need for a Revolutionary War, that he and England could have stayed with each other, forever.
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Happy.
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
He laughed shakily, taking off his glasses and wiping the rain from his face. He was being stupid. He couldn't regret the War now, after all these years. That was just silly. It seemed he really was becoming old, after all.
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
America stood, ready to go back inside, but stopped suddenly as the lightning flashed and thunder boomed simultaneously. He could have sworn he heard a voice in the thunder, and saw a shape on the clouds.
Wake me up when September ends
England, as big as he was on that day, reaching down a hand.
Summer has come and passed
"Let's go home."
The innocent can never last
"Okay!"
Wake me up when September ends
It was gone as soon as it appeared, but America could hear the voice echoing in his mind.
Like my fathers come and passed
He sat back on the bench, putting his head in his hand, and for the first time in three hundred years…
Twenty years has gone so fast
He cried.
Wake me up when September ends