"That's it, Alfred!" Canada demanded, pointing furiously at his twin. "I agreed to switch for a couple days with you because you said you were feeling stressed, but it's already been over a week! I want my life back!" America yawned, leaning back in his chair and tossing some ketchup chips in his mouth. "No way dude." He responded carelessly. "People are nice to me for no reason when they think I'm you. Cuba talks to me, France doesn't try to grope me, and almost everyone ignores me, which I love because I always fight with at least one country every time we meet." He licked the ketchup off his fingers. "Besides, do you know how many times I've been insulted since I switched with you?" America continued enthusiastically. "Zero!" He supplied the answer without waiting for Canada's response. America kicked his feet up on Canada's coffee table.
"Dude, I wish I could be you forever!" "You can't!" Canada cried, on the verge of tears. "I don't want to be you forever!" He wiped at his eyes with his bandaged hands. "When I'm you, everyone sees me and it's nice, but even when I speak they ignore my ideas, and China insulted me for no reason earlier and he's not the first! And even though I haven't had a hamburger in ages everyone keeps bringing them up, and saying I'm going to get fat, and Britain is so hard on me and I know he only scolds us because he cares but my hair isn't messy so-"Canada broke off his babbling as he saw a flash of something in America's eyes. He hesitated for a moment, then continued weakly." And I'm pretty sure Lithuania has figured out we're not the same person..." He trailed off, noticing his brother's shoulders droop, as he seemed to fold in on himself.
Canada sighed loudly. "I guess I can be you for a little longer." He yielded, and America instantly seemed to perk up. "Only until France notices!" Canada was quick to warn. "Thanks bro! You're the best!" America threw himself full force at Canada, catching him in a bear hug. Canada couldn't help but smile at this. "Well, I do love hanging out with Japan, he's so cool, and it's nice to be noticed and cared for by Britain all the time, even if he scolds me. Besides, it's nice to be the country everyone envies, even if they insult me all the time." Canada gave in. America pouted." I'm still the hero,even when I'm you!" He defended, still clinging to Canada. Canada patted his brother on the back, comfortingly.
"Of course, Al, you're alway the hero to me, no matter who you act like." America's eyes widened at this information. Canada pried his brother off him. "I want my place clean when I come back, don't turn it into a pigsty!" He demanded. "And please don't upset any of my friends like Cuba and don't pick any fights with the Netherlands, okay?" He frowned as he thought of something. "Wait, did you say France groped you?" A dangerous aura formed around Canada and he cursed in French. He threw a glance at America, and America flinched at the look on his face. "You don't mind if I beat the shit out of him while I'm you, do you?" He asked, and America weakly shook his head. "But will you be okay with that?" America asked cautiously. "Aren't you really close?"
Canada cracked his knuckles. "I don't care who it is, no one picks on my little brother!" America was touched for a second, then he frowned. "I'm the big brother, I gained independence first!" "No, I am," Canada argued, finding America's baseball bat for his upcoming fight. He found the bat and swung it testingly with a glint in his eye. "Britain said I'm older because I learned the alphabet first!" America wanted to argue, but knowing England, it was exactly the kind of thing he might say. America opened his mouth, an argument on the tip of the tongue, when Canada turned to him, almost excitedly. "I'm going to beat up France, if you need me! "
America swallowed his argument as he watched Canada slam the door behind him. After all, his brother was doing so much for him, he may as well let him think he's older. Because that's what heros do. He sat back down on the couch feeling slightly comforted. A week later, after a lot of complaining and cajoling from Canada, and yes, a little threatening, America finally switched back. He noticed France didn't touch him anymore, and instead stayed far away from America, as his leg was still in a cast and his head was still bandaged. He also noticed a lot of the other countries were nicer to him then before, and England actually listened to his ideas before denouncing them.
Canada noticed he was noticed more, and that the countries that tended to bully him had stopped. The other countries noticed that something was different about America sometimes, but they couldn't say exactly what. Only France knew, but he wouldn't say anything, even if Canada hadnt threatened him. After all, he wanted them both to be happy. And every now and then, Canada becomes more noticeable and America is a little nicer, and maybe both of them wink at each other from across the room, and in a few days or weeks, everything goes back to normal, and everything is okay.
Because that's what big brothers do.
