Panic rushed through the American blonde as he watched the girl escape. She had heard them, and she had heard him. Without even realizing what he was doing, he took off after her. His feet practically hovered above the floor as he chased her outside and down the street.
She was quick, but he just so happened to be quicker. He caught up to her rather quickly. He had the intentions of simply grabbing her arm or shoulder to stop her but found himself with his arms around her. He pulled her back as gently as he could, into him.
They stayed like that for a moment. America just showing her that he was there, and that he had no intention of letting her go.
Belarus, on the other hand, felt shivers going through her. Her eyes fluttered shut as she relaxed for a moment. It was a warm feeling that went through her. She couldn't remember having ever been hugged before. Not by Russia, not by anyone.
Only Russia should've hugged her. She gathered herself up and found herself squirming from America's arms, "Release me!"
America complied and unwound himself from her. However, the moment she looked ready to run from him again, he grabbed her wrist.
"Let go! Right now!" She found herself crying out slightly as the hand tightened around her wrist. Her left hand began to reach for a knife but she felt America's grip threatening to tighten again, "Don't you dare."
Raising her head, twilight met the sky through their eyes. His eyes seemed darker now, as he held her tightly. They were not void of kindness, no. That kindness always seemed to be there, no matter the circumstances. It was there during the cold war; it was there during WWII; it was even there when he left England. No, it never left. It was a lingering kindness, a want to help everyone. It was a want to make everyone happy, to see everyone smiling. It was a want to never hurt someone.
And now it was there when he stared down Belarus, a woman who was close to pulling a knife on him, and a woman who had hurt him before.
Everything was all wrong. She didn't mind the kindness that he was offering her. In fact, she was kind of reminded of when they were younger. He'd been a sort of older brother to her. Not like Russia, he could never be like Russia, but a brother nevertheless. Someone she didn't mind being around when the rest of the world didn't want her.
So, she relaxed everything but her eyes, which bore deep into America. Her voice was softer than usual, but America still noticed the hostility, "I don't need your pity."
"I don't pity you. I just want to help you."
"For what, America? What do you gain from helping someone like myself?"
"Alfred," He simply stated.
"What?"
"Call me Alfred." Belarus was surprised by this. Even when they were younger, he had not revealed his human name to her. Human names were sacred, something only someone very close to a country knew about. Belarus didn't even know Russia's human name. She knew no one's.
She looked at him with cold eyes, "Why would you tell me that?"
He released her wrist, "My full name is Alfred F. Jones. I want you to know because that's how serious I am, Bela. I want you to trust me, please."
"Don't call me Bela." Her eyes were still cold. America was about to apologize when she interrupted him, "I'm Natalya." Both of them were surprised. Belarus managed to surprise even herself with the things she found she could easily tell him.
He was, after all, nearly a stranger. They hadn't had contact outside of hearing each other speak at meetings for years. Things fell apart between them when America had a rough time dealing with her rather violent side.
Neither side could break the silence that began to linger between them. It wasn't awkward to them at all. They were studying each other in an attempt to silently regain the familiarity they once had long ago.
It took Natalya a moment to realize when Alfred has released her wrist. She found something within her yearning for contact between them again, but she shoved it away quickly. It's something of a sin to wish for it, she told herself as an excuse.
Alfred's eyes seemed to brighten up entirely, "Why don't ya come on back over? We've still got to finish our game! I can order pizza for dinner too! Or hamburgers! But we'd have to go and leave to get them. It kinda sucks that nowhere delivers burgers! Oh, well I mean, you could stay and I could get them, if you want burgers. It doesn't matter to me, you can choose!"
She stared for a moment before forcing a smile. It felt awkward on her face, it wasn't an expression often used by her. No one gave her reasons to smile anymore, not even forced ones. She did, however, recognize that he genuinely wanted to be close to her, and decided that it wouldn't be too bad to allow it.
"I'm just a visitor, Alfred." She found it strange how much she wanted to use his name. It felt strange on her tongue, but she liked it. "You can decide what we eat. I do not mind. I am not much of a picky eater."
He grinned, "Awesome! Let's order pizza! I don't really feel like driving to pick up food, ugh. We should get extra cheese and pepperoni and sausage and- Shit! Come on, it's cold out here, and neither of us have a jacket. You're shivering!"
Natalya looked down at her arms and hands and found that it was true; her body was shaking from the cold. Although, she didn't feel cold at all. In fact, she felt very warm. How sad. I am so used to the cold and snow of brother's country that I no longer notice when my body is in need of warmth.
She walked towards him, and then past him, back towards his house, "Then let's go."
Back at Alfred's house, England and France had already left. Although there was a little message left for Alfred from his brother, don't do anything incredibly stupid or else. It entirely missed the goal of being intimidating and instead got a good laugh from Alfred.
Natalya made herself comfortable on the couch again and decided to get some practice through the game while Alfred pulled his cellphone out and called the nearest pizza place for extra fast delivery. Lucky for him, he had it on speed dial. He order a large pizza with a little bit of everything on it, except anchovies. Ugh, who even puts anchovies on pizza?
While waiting for the pizza, he even managed to exert enough patience to just talk to Natalya while she practiced, rather than joining in. He actually found it to be quite nice.
However, Natalya thought it was just a bit difficult to talk and concentrate on the game at the same time. It got a bit easier when Alfred was instructing her on how to improve rather than just chatting idly.
At some point, she even found her lips parted in grins and laughs without being forced. She'd forgotten how it felt to be this happy. She'd spent all her time focusing on gaining her brother's love and being angry and sat herself when she failed that she had forgotten how to have fun, especially fun like this.
It reminded her more of when she was much younger, just a new nation. Although Alfred had been around the most during those younger years, she had another friend who showed her the ropes of being a country. Every now and then, when he came, rather than teaching her, he'd take her places just for fun. He wasn't much like that anymore now though. He had grown past that age. Japan kept much more to himself, and they didn't visit each other any longer.
Almost all of the nations did except Alfred. Silently and quickly, her thoughts drifted away from the game on the television and Alfred's excited voice, and to thoughts and wonders about how he could stay so carefree. He had faced war many times, and so many heartbreaks. There had been many times when he watched his people suffer. He was surprisingly strong, to keep such a smile after all of that.
She wondered if she could be like that one day, but knew it wouldn't be that way. She was much too different, in every possible way.
Still, it felt nice to have a dream like a child would, like any human would. But you're no child and you're no human. You're a country, act like one. The thoughts ate away at her, she didn't notice Alfred waving his hand in front of her until he heard the doorbell and went to retrieve their pizza.
He brought a slice up to his mouth and bit down. Almost immediately, he jumped back and tossed his slice of pizza onto the place. Fanning his mouth he cried out in pain, "It's hot!"
It earned the slightest of giggles from Natalya that only lasted a moment. A short breath of air blew from her mouth and onto the pizza to cool it just a bit. She took a dainty little bite and found that it was just as good as she remembered. It'd been so long since she last had pizza.
Alfred didn't learn his lesson after the first time he burnt his tongue. Almost right after his mouth recovered, he was shoving pizza in his mouth again, and the sauce was scalding hot. He managed to do this several times before, instead of learning his lesson, the pizza cooled off enough to avoid burning his mouth.
Natalya was quiet through most of the dinner, but Alfred wasn't. He blabbed on about various things; sports, food, and something about a criminal in Germany who calls himself the Cookie Monster. He offered up opportunities for her to get some talk in often, but she just let him continue. She wasn't all that talkative like most took her to be, and Alfred was certainly enjoying the chance to talk nonstop.
She was going to help Alfred clean up, but he just shoved the plates into the kitchen sink and said he'd take care of it later. They need to sit in water for a bit, apparently.
Immediately after, a wide grin appeared on his face. "I know what we can do now!" Before he even let her ask a simple, "What?" he was shooting out names of various horror movies for them to watch.
"So you've gotten over your fear of those since we were children?" She remembered when he would always beg England to let them watch horror movies at night. He never agreed until one night, and that was the last time too. Alfred had nightmares for weeks, and wouldn't leave his room, terrified that aliens were waiting to take him.
He chuckled, "Well, I mean…" She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Aha! I've totally gotten over that fear! Heroes can't fear anything! Not monsters or villains or anything! That's how they keep people safe!"
He sounded sincere enough to her, especially when he decided to use being a hero as a reason he no longer feared such movies. He picked out one he claimed he'd never seen before, and that was okay because Natalya hadn't even heard of it; The Cabin in the Woods.
He did well at the beginning of the movie, which isn't that hard since nothing terrifying happens in the beginning. But as soon as the monsters appeared, he was gone. He became a shaking mess of whines and shouts directed towards a fictional movie on a television screen.
He hasn't changed at all, she realized. Still every bit that child he was all those years ago.
Sorry
I'm so sorry I haven't updated this recently!
Before, I was just going with it, I didn't really know what I wanted this to become. Now, however, I do. I know exactly how I want this to work out, so I'm gonna try and get a chapter up at the very least, once a week.
I hope you guys enjoyed this 3
