Well bienvenues from Jersey! Mum has gone all Gollum on the Internet ("No! You cannot go on the precious, the precious is MINE! You may only use it for school work! For five minutes a week!), hence the absurdly long break in updates... But you have a longer chapter to make up for it! X3
WARNING: Detail in later parts of chapter. Sorry...
Spain: *Looks at chapter* Yay! I'm in this one! ^o^ She doesn't own Hetalia!
Me: *weeps*
Spain: Fusosososo~
14. Rescue.
England's P.O.V.
I stagger against the wall, my vision swimming. That guy's strong! He's been beating me up ever since we started fighting! How? Disbelief courses through me as he flicks open a long knife and starts moving purposefully towards me. All of a sudden, he lunges. I jerk back, but a flash of pain in my head tells me it has made contact.
"Kill him!" shrieks the frog. "Kill him now, or our deal's off!" His breath cuts off in a gurgle as Russia's pipe jabs him in the stomach.
My assailant sweeps his leg around in an arc that hits mine. They buckle and I fall. He raises the knife and I my hand, pointlessly trying to defend myself, staring up at him with wild, wide eyes, entreating him to spare me. He starts to bring the knife down. This is the end. My eyes close, for what I am sure shall be the last time.
The blow never falls. I glance upwards, confused. He seems indecisive. Why? The knife slips from his grasp and clatters on the floor. A shaking hand reaches out slightly to me.
"B...Britain?"
That voice! Could it be... no. "Just kill me already, like the frog said!"
"No!"
"Give me one good reason why you shouldn't, git." Even in my own ears it sounds like I've given up.
He falters.
"Just do it! Don't drag it out!"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because I love you!"
I gasp. He kneels down beside me and takes off my balaclava. Sky blue eyes stare down at me, tearing up as he sees blood sluggishly trickling down my face. He pulls his own mask over his head. A weak smile forces its way onto my visage, because it's who I hoped it would be. My own former colony. My America.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant to...I didn't know it was you, Iggy."
"Don't worry about it." Then, I register the nickname. "And don't call me Iggy! I-" I am, to my mild irritation, cut off.
"But I hurt you! I would've never..." He leans in, a minuscule distance between us. Oh God. Is he going to...
"I said...don't worry. You've done well." My breath is taken away as his lips softly touch mine. The surrounding clamour recedes and, to my brain, all that exists is this fleeting second. And, although I know both of my religions teach it is wrong, I can't help but think that it feels so right.
"You want to leave?" He murmurs. I try to check my suddenly racing heart.
"Heh…I suppose so." Can't make it too easy, can I?
He stands up, wearing that idiotic, adorable grin, and offers me his hand. Grasping it, I allow myself to be pulled up and into a warm embrace. Sod it.
"I never realised it at first. I thought it was still the love a 'big brother' was supposed to have! But it changed, I don't know when. Then I realised I really loved you, more than brothers, not that we were really brothers in the first place but…I wanted to tell you so badly, but it was never the right time!"
He softly chuckles. "I guess I realised earlier than you, huh. That was why… the Revolution.. against you. I wanted, no, needed you to see that I could be more to you than just some kid! I loved you so much. Heck, I still do."
"I love you too, America."
We break apart, still holding hands. I try to walk towards the door, but stumble and almost fall after a few steps. I suppose something happened to my ankle. As I said, I almost fall, but he catches me before I can. Supporting both our weights, he crosses to the door, avoiding fighting groups. It is open. As a fresh blast of night air caresses both our bodies, I sigh and close my eyes. It seems happy endings do happen after all, no matter what that frog told me when I was younger.
Romano's P.O.V.
Hungary's frying pan smacks me underneath the chin and I reel backwards, only to trip and fall.
"Romano!" The tomato bastard instantly rushes over to me.
"I'm fine, you idiot." I try to focus on him, then my eyes widen. "Spain, look out!"
He half turns. "Huh?"
Austria hurtles into him and his head cracks sickeningly against the wall. My heart lurches.
"Spain? Spain! You bastard, answer me!" I crawl over to him. Blood trickles through his hair and over a closed eye. Shaking him, I am rewarded by a feeble stirring. The bastard's alive, at least. I stand. Seeing Austria, my eyes narrow. He takes an uncertain step backwards.
With a wild yell, I rush headlong at him.
"Bastardo! Bastardo! Bastardo!" Tears fall unwanted from my eyes as I swing wildly at him, not caring whether they contact or not. He falls, his glasses knocked askew, his hair messy, his designer clothing ripped and torn. I attack again, but Hungary is there, a scary aura surrounding her. Her frying pan gets in the way of my hand, and I wince with the pain. She follows it up with a barrage of punches, kicks and swings until I am bruised, battered and curled up in a ball against the cold, hard floor. Through puffy eyes I see the tomato bastard struggling to stand. I try to warn him, but my throat is so swollen that all that comes out is a strangled squeak.
"Don't you ever touch my Austria again, hear me?" Behind her, Spain straightens up fully and starts to move quietly towards us.
"You hear me?" She kicks me forcefully in the stomach. My eyes widen as, as if from nowhere, the tomato bastard produces a gigantic battle-axe. Distract her, distract her...I manage to nod.
"Good. Now, move away from him."
I shuffle painfully over a few inches. Spain raises the axe. He's not going to...
"Hey."
Hungary turns and the flat of the blade meets her head. With a soft moan, she collapses.
"And you, you stay away from mi tomate." Spain says firmly. He comes over to me. "Let Boss Spain do the fighting for a bit, huh?" I close my eyes as he smooths my hair back, lifts me and carries me to an alcove. He sets me down tenderly, sliding his folded jacket under my aching head. It's been so long since I've felt like this. Safe. It's absurd! Even in the middle of a battle, he still manages to make me feel safe! And something else...I don't know. I'm too tired to think about it now.
"Sleep, Romano. I'll wake you when it's over."
"Go to hell, tomato bastard." I manage to croak out before sleep overcomes me.
Germany's P.O.V.
An iron – barred door blocks my way. It must be this one. With a few kicks, the door falls off its hinges. I charge through the frame.
It takes my eyes a while to adjust to the gloom inside. Where is he? I glance around the room. An almost inaudible noise brings my head around like a weathercock. Rushing towards it, I gasp at what I see.
Italy lies slightly out of the light, up against the wall. His fragile body is covered with deep, bloody wounds. His clothes are ripped, torn and dirty. The arrow wound has had the bandage removed and now looks infected. His broken arm has bone poking through the skin. Scabs are half torn off, revealing raw, mangled flesh and large patches of skin look burnt or scalded. His beautiful hair is in a cap of clotted blood and, even though it has only been a few days, he looks dehydrated and starved. His breathing is rapid, shallow and fitful and, as I watch, his narrow torso is racked by a series of deep, painful coughs. I carefully touch his forehead. He's burning up! How could he have got into such a state? How?
He stirs very slightly.
"Feli? Feli, answer me! Are you alright?" What a stupid question. Of course he's not. I have never seen anyone less alright, but it was the only thing I could think of to say! One dull amber eye opens a fraction and his lips part. Bending so my ear is next to it, I hear, very faintly, "Ludwig." Then, he slumps. A brief inspection reveals a faint, stuttering heartbeat. Very, very gently, I gather him into my arms and lift him. He lies limp and senseless against my chest.
"You're safe now, Feli," I whisper, even though I know he can't hear me. My eyes start to fill up. "You're safe now."
Right! I am horrible, yes. Please review to tell me that! As an added bonus, reviewers get Spain!
Spain: R&R~!