A/N: If you enjoy historical references, AmeriPan, and have ever wondered what it would be like if the world's last superpower was a female nation and how her life as a woman impacted her, this fic is for you!

Oh, and also if you like Taylor Swift. Honestly, where would I even be without her?

Time, curious time

Gave me no compasses, gave me no signs

Were there clues I didn't see?

Amelia Jones leaned against the wooden door frame of the ornate conference room, a small smile playing at her lips as she watched sunlight bounce off of Kiku Honda's jet-black hair. The large, floor-length windows illuminated his entire person, outlining him in gold against the retreating sun. He seemed completely unaware of her existence, focused on his conversation with the stern-looking woman gathering her files together.

Their business was coming to an end for the day. Amelia could tell by the way his shoulders relaxed and his tone shifted, though she couldn't make out what they were saying. They were both her allies, but she'd be in trouble if she got caught snooping around Germany's house again. Even so, she could tell Kiku was cracking a small joke by the way his lips turned upward into an almost imperceptible smile. Her heart felt a little bit lighter every time she saw that particular tell.

"Miss America!" a voice called from down the hall, jolting her out of her admiration. Amelia turned and came face to face with Italy, the man having practically tripped over himself to catch up with her. "Wow! I can't believe you're here too! Waiting for Japan?"

"Hey, Italy! You hit the nail on the head! I figured since we're both in town, we could hang out after work. And judging by those flowers...You must have known I'd be here!" She winked at him, holding out her arms for the purple blossoms as if she truly expected to be handed them. Italy laughed and Amelia continued to smile as her arms dropped to her side. "I'm guessing those are for Germany and not for me after all, hm~?"

He nodded enthusiastically, an unruly curl of auburn hair bobbing along. Amelia thought about reaching out and giving it a short tug, but the last time she did that, Germany had given her such a frightful look that even she thought better of it. "I haven't seen her all month since she's been so busy. You should always bring a cute girl flowers, but these are special! Heliotropes are sort of significant for us."

Amelia peered into the bouquet as if she expected some sort of surprise to pop out of it. They seemed like such an unremarkable plant, but they smelled nice enough. "I guess you guys would have a special flower, huh? You've been together for a long time now."

"I've loved her since the 900s," Italy admitted with a quiet seriousness that made the American feel a little uncomfortable. It didn't suit him and his usual ditzy cheerfulness. It reminded her too much of a time nearly a century behind them now, even if he was sporting a wistful smile. "She still doesn't remember everything, but these flowers help bring back her memories of that time."

Amelia blinked slowly and stood up straight, glancing at the bouquet with a new sort of reverence. "Right. I forgot, you guys fell in love and then were separated for a long time. It's a crazy love story, but I'm glad you can be together now."

The way Italy looked at Germany was exactly the same way she looked at Kiku. The growing grin on his face said it all as he peeked in on the pair. He checked his watch, noting that there were technically still three minutes left in the meeting. Germany would use up every single one of them, even if it was just pleasantries at this point. That was just who she was.

The blonde couldn't help but feel a little jealous. They had so much shared history together. It was impossible to separate the two. They were as married as nations could be. People took their relationship seriously and respected it, if not as countries then certainly on a personal level. Everyone seemed to acknowledge they were made for one another, but more important than what everyone else thought was what they thought. Germany loved Italy and Italy loved Germany. No matter what happened, they would always come back together.

"Japan says we're tied by fate," Italy hummed, holding up his pinky finger.

Amelia stared at him, far more confused by this action than the heliotropes. "Um…" She raised her hand and wrapped her own pinky around his, shaking on it. "What are we promising?"

Italy stared back at her, then began to burst into laughter. "Miss America, you don't know?"

"Know what ?" Amelia asked, annoyed that someone like Italy was in the loop when she wasn't.

Italy tried to cover up his laughter that had died down to a chuckle, smile never leaving his handsome face. "There's an invisible string that connects two people who are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances," he explained, holding his pinky out. He turned, squinting, and aimed it directly over Germany's form just as she seemed to notice them waiting. "This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. So you see? Germany and I are connected! We're soulmates!"

"Oh, so it's folklore…" Amelia mused, though she didn't have a chance to ask any further questions as their respective partners finally decided they were ready to head out.

"Italy, what are you doing here? I thought I was going to meet you tomorrow in Venice!" Germany was clearly surprised, looking at her lover as if he had confused their joint schedule. What was the point of updating the Google Calendar if he wasn't going to reference it?

Italy wasted no time, standing on his toes to kiss both of Germany's cheeks before presenting her with the bouquet. "I know, but I took off from work early-!"

"You what?"

"Well, it's a Friday, so I thought if I just took off early I could meet you tonight-and tonight is really very special, you know!-and then we could travel back to Venice tomorrow together! It'll be much more fun if you have company, right? I love taking the trains between our places~! I get to admire so much of Germany's beautiful lands that way! No wonder your body is so-!"

"Enough." Germany's face was thoroughly pink as she slapped a hand over Italy's mouth. Once she could look America and Japan in the eyes, she heaved a large sigh. "My apologies. I know we had plans to get dinner together, but he actually has a point. Today is a special day for us."

It really must have been something important if Germany was cancelling plans, especially so last minute. Idly, Amelia wondered what it could be, but with a relationship as long as theirs, she imagined their year was full of anniversaries and special moments. Italy was a romantic guy. He wouldn't let any precious memory go uncelebrated, especially when Germany was only now beginning to remember her time as the Holy Roman Empire. America should have been happy for them, but the only thing she could be truly happy about was it freed up her evening with Japan.

"That's alright. Miss America and I will find a way to entertain ourselves."

"I'm sure you will~!" Italy teased knowingly, though he flinched when Kiku gave him a look. "Eh, no, wait, I mean because you two are such good friends! Besides, aren't things always more fun with a pretty girl around?! I know America is America, but she's still a girl and really very gorgeous and-!"

"It's fine, dude," Amelia waved him off with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, wanting to shut him up before he said something that pissed off both blondes. If Italy blew his evening plans with Germany now, that might mean she'd want to go out drinking with both her and Kiku-or maybe even just her. As much as America appreciated female-nation solidarity, she wasn't in the mood to listen to someone complain about how their boyfriend accidentally put his foot in his mouth when he was so clearly head over heels for her. "Everyone knows Japan and I are total rockstars together! We're gonna take Berlin by storm! Paint the town! Find some weird cowboy-themed bar and square dance the night away!"

"I don't have that many of those," Germany said quickly, embarrassed by her own people's fascination with Westerns and cowboys. America never let her forget it once she found out.

"You have more in your capital than I do in mine. That's too many."

When farewells and promises to catch up some other time had been made, they parted ways, Italy's voice echoing throughout the hall as he began to explain to Germany all the romantic plans he had made in a city considered anything but. Amelia didn't need to be present for the rest of their conversation to know Germany was going to be swept off her feet by the Italian charmer.

"Doner kebab?" Amelia asked once they had left the Reichstag building far enough behind them that they blended into the crowd, a pair of tourists like any other.

"Doner kebab," Kiku agreed with a small smile, his hand finally slipping into hers.

Time, mystical time

Cutting me open, then healing me fine

It didn't take them long to locate a Turkish fast food stall near the edge of the River Spree. Italy and Germany were no doubt enjoying a romantic meal at some upscale restaurant or other, but Amelia would bargain that this was a pretty great date spot too, even if it did include more birds than most people usually liked.

"Stop feeding the pigeons," Kiku scolded her lightly as he took a seat beside her on a set of steps that looked out towards the water.

Amelia made a face. Caught. She thought nobody was watching when she tossed that piece of pita towards the flock of opportunistic scavengers.

"I've seen you shout at tourists outside Union Station for that sort of thing," he continued, poking her cheek. She whined, but he didn't acknowledge her complaints. "If you're going to show up for pleasure instead of business, you should be especially respectful."

Amelia smirked and wagged her eyebrows at him. "Oh, I definitely showed up for pleasure."

She shrieked as he swatted her gently in the face with his kebab, tzatziki sauce landing on her cheek. "Hey! No money shots in public!"

He choked on his bite of pita, coughing and sputtering around laughter. The pigeons were thankful for the extra offering and Kiku was too distracted to scold anyone. Amelia passed him a bottle of water before wiping the condiment off her face, grinning from ear to ear. She was still laughing as she leaned over to kiss the corner of his mouth, waiting patiently for him to swallow and catch his breath before swooping in for a real kiss.

She could feel him smile against her lips, a chuckle low in his own throat. Something about Europe always made Kiku a little bit more free with his displays of public affection. Taking him to Italy had even more bizarre effects, but Amelia wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She just wanted to kiss him out in the open when nobody else was around. There was no reputation to be lost or gained when they were just a pair of strangers passing through.

He wouldn't allow it to go farther than that though, for both decency's sake and her own. It was funny how shy he could still be, unable to look her in the eyes after they parted, a pretty blush starting to color his pale cheeks. Kiku might not be able to look at her, but all Amelia could do was stare. She knew the more she did, the redder his face would get and maybe she was just a little bit sadistic. Amelia hoped he never lost his innocent shyness when they were out in public like this.

Their bedroom was a different story, but she knew Kiku would want to take a stroll around the city together before retiring to their hotel room.

"How was the meeting?" she asked as she polished off her kebab, always the first to finish their food out of the pair. "It seemed like you guys finished talking about business fairly early."

"Listening in again?" he asked, amused as he took another bite of his wrap.

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I learned my lesson, okay? I just know how your whole body relaxes once you stop being Japan and you start acting like Kiku."

It was impossible for them to stop being both. They knew that. Relationships between nations were complicated and messy. Showing their true humanity to one another could backfire so spectacularly, but she knew Germany was Japan's friend. He might not know her human name, but he didn't have to. They still cared for one another.

"She's a bit perplexed about her relationship with Italy," he admitted, staring out at the water. "Their personal involvement is public knowledge, but Italy wants to take things further these days. Not as countries, but as people."

"And what's so wrong with that?" She felt like a hypocrite as soon as the words left her mouth. "Those two have been in love for over a thousand years, Kiku. Didn't you say to Italy that they're tied by an invisible string?"

He finished his meal and grabbed her trash, taking both greasy wrappers and tossing them. Without a word, he pulled hand sanitizer out of his pocket and poured some onto his palm, then gestured for Amelia to hold out her own. She watched him with bated breath, knowing he was calculating his words during the interim distraction.

"Does everyone need to know about it?" He slipped the little bottle back into his pocket and reached for her hand. "Germany is a female nation and a major world power. Aren't you the one always saying that you have to work twice as hard just to get people to take you seriously? That romantic relationships lead to nothing but trouble and a lack of respect for female nations? Isn't that the reason why we're just friends?"

He wasn't angry about it, mostly because he knew it wasn't true. Not the last part, at least.

"We're not just friends," she reminded him, though her tone was bitter. "It's different for me. I'm the only female superpower to ever exist. You know what would happen if people found out about us."

Kiku knew her troubled mind well. He wondered if Amelia ever worried he would try to use her in the same way, as if she could be fooled so easily again. He wanted to take her into his arms and reassure her that this was different, that all this pretending was for her safety and because he respected her. She didn't have any right to look so hurt.

"Well, you're not a superpower right now," he remarked, holding up a hand as soon as her face started to shift into one of outrage. "Amelia."

Her real name made her swallow her tongue. She started to laugh, shaking her head as she took his hand. "Kiku."

That's right. They weren't countries right now. They could pretend to be human as long as it was just the two of them together.

One single thread of gold

Tied me to you

"Do you think we're tied together?" Amelia asked as she laid with him, naked beneath the sheets of the hotel bed. She raised her right arm and held up her pinky finger, staring up at it as if she could see the red thread that tied her to her soulmate.

"You're still thinking about that old legend?" he asked, kissing her temple. Her golden curls smelled like sunshine in darkness. "I had no idea you were so interested in folklore. Have you heard the one about Momotaro? I think you would like it. I can tell it to you now to help you fall asleep if you like."

She lowered her arm, a heavy feeling beginning to form in the pit of her stomach. "Kiku Honda, is there a reason why you're dodging the question?"

Amelia could feel her head rise and fall as his chest did, a sigh heaving from his slender body. She turned onto her side, resting a hand on his chest as she peered up at him with blue eyes that were begging him not to break her heart.

His silence spoke volumes. She knew better than to expect him to say 'no' outright. "It's a bit difficult to say, don't you think? We can't compare ourselves to Italy and Germany."

"Nobody is comparing us to those two. I was asking you if you thought we were destined to be together," she reminded him, her tone clipped in a way that was more like England's than she would ever care to admit. Her eyes focused on the bland decor of the hotel room, staring straight through an inoffensive floor lamp to avoid looking Kiku in the eyes and giving away how annoyed she was growing. "I didn't realize it was such a difficult question. You could just score easy points and say 'yes', you know."

"You would have me lie to you?"

She sat up at that. "You think it would be a lie to say we're soulmates?"

"Amelia, it's just a story," he reminded her, not budging from his spot, though he looked troubled. "You're still so incredibly young."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" she snapped, throwing the sheets back and getting up, always unable to sit still when she was troubled.

"I just meant that you still have so much history ahead of you. I may not be the man you want six decades from now," he explained, pulling the sheet back over himself, far more modest than her even now. "A woman such as yourself is bound to get tangled up with all sorts of people."

"Ah, well thank you for calling me a skank in the nicest way possible." She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes so far back, he could see the whites of her eyes. The blues suddenly narrowed when she realized just how specific he was being with his choice of years. "...This is about Russia, isn't it?"

"Ami…"

Her arms folded across her chest and she gave an incredulous laugh. "Unbelievable. Six decades. That was deliberate. How long are you going to throw that in my face?"

"I wasn't throwing it in your face!" he insisted, laying back on the bed. How did things go so wrong?

"Yes, you were. You worry I might still have feelings for him. You think that one day, he's going to come back, and I'm just going to open my legs and let him slide between them. Because I'm 'bound to get tangled up with all sorts of people' . Classy."

"Your boss was the one who said he wanted to 'reset relations' with Russia." He was making it worse and he knew it.

"And so you think that means something?! That was my boss's idea-not mine! I can be a professional and separate my work and my personal life! That was ten years ago, Kiku! Nothing even happened! Things only got worse because he can't let shit go! Now you're going to cling to it too?"

Amelia had a point, but Kiku refused to concede. It was about more than just the 'relationship reset'. She just didn't get it. "You speak of ten years as if it's more than a blink of an eye for us."

She said nothing, furious in her silence. Annoyed that he could freely look upon her naked body, she ripped the sheet clean off the bed with the same amount of effort one used to grab a tissue, her strength abnormal for a woman her size.

Kiku immediately curled in on himself, using his hands to cover his genitals. "Ami!"

"I am not responsible for your insecurity."

She left him bare-ass naked on the bed, wrapped herself in the sheet like a makeshift toga, and headed for the bathroom to clean up.

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling, just listening to the water turn on. Amelia was taking things all wrong, but he shouldn't have brought her age into it and he definitely shouldn't have brought up her relationship with Russia. It was a dumb mistake. He knew the sort of reaction that would elicit.

By the time he went after her, the bathroom mirror had fogged over. He took his finger and began to doodle over the condensation, tracing a triangle and then a line straight down the center to form an umbrella. In Japanese, he added his name on the left and hers on the right, then topped everything off with a tiny heart. It was childish, but he knew it would bring a smile to her face when she noticed it later.

The water was uncomfortably hot to the point it turned her skin pink and burned her face. She could feel the tension already starting to leave her muscles, stress fading away. This was a stupid arguement. They both knew it.

When she pushed the glass door to the shower open, Kiku took the olive branch and joined her.

"I love you," she reminded him as he stepped inside, water cascading down her face and turning her golden threads of hair a chestnut brown. "If I could be with you publicly, I would. I just can't have anyone question my position ever again. I can't. I can't go through it again."

"I know," he whispered back reassuringly, kissing her cheek as his arms wrapped around her waist. "It's not 1959 and I'm not him. This is our secret, Ami."

She took a deep breath and leaned into him. "You love me too, right?"

It was still difficult for him to say. It just wasn't in his nature to talk about his feelings. "Yes. I love you." He was trying. Words of affection dribbled out of Amelia's mouth like a rushing river, but Kiku rarely voiced how he felt about her. It came out in other ways, quiet and gentle reminders that appeared as if left behind by a guardian angel, but those hushed tokens of his love were just as constant and ever-present.

"Why don't you think we're destined to be together?" She could feel his body preparing to sigh again and turned her head to look at him. "Really. What's the reason?"

He reached for the shampoo, pouring some into his hand. More distractions. "It's not so much that. The red string of fate connects lovers across time and space, but our relationship is relatively fresh for our kind. I still learn new things about you every day, Ami. I know you very well, yes, but there are still these parts of yourself that you won't let anyone see. Not even me. I know why you do it. I understand why you hide parts of yourself away."

"I do not hide parts of myself!" she insisted with a pout. "I am very straightforward and have one of the most well-documented histories in the world!"

"A history that often omits your experience," Kiku countered. "Yes. The United States of America has no shortage of scholarly texts and anthologies documenting its every move. But you are largely excluded from that narrative."

"Because I'm a woman."

He did not disagree. "Because you're a woman."

"So...you want to know more about me?" This was an odd turn of events. She felt like she never missed an opportunity to talk about herself, but Kiku wasn't satisfied with what he knew. "Like my colonial days?"

"More than just that. Even the time we spent together is all tangled up and I often find myself wondering what you were thinking in that moment. I still don't know what was going through your head when you found me dying. Everyone wrote it off as you just wanting to play a hero, but I remember the look on your face when you found me in the aftermath."

She had never said a word about how she really felt. The America she presented to the world, shining bright and full of ceaseless optimism, was rooted in the belief that she had to be perfect in a world that constantly shifted the goalposts for women. Like a chameleon, she had morphed according to the expectations of every era in order to survive.

He could still recall the day he realized she dumbed herself down at world meetings. He remembers how startled he was the first time he heard her genuine laugh and how different it was from the 'polite, ladylike' little giggle she reserved for men she detested. He had seen her strong-arm people one moment and only to offer them home-made sweets the next, flip-flopping and ping-ponging between traditionally masculine and feminine roles as best she could because her job demanded she lead but the world told her she could not.

Trying to disregard her gender solved nothing. It only earned her scorn from her male bosses and the male nations alike. She continued to adapt and continued to perfect the way she presented herself. Denying herself a real relationship with the man she loved fit into her political equation. It was one less thing people could criticize her for.

Amelia was uncharacteristically quiet for the rest of the shower. It was only when they turned the water off did she address him again. "My thoughts are the only things that feel like they're completely mine," she admitted, stepping out of the tub and reaching for a towel. "More than that, they never mattered. Nobody ever cared what I thought."

"I care."

She finally noticed the ai-ai gasa he had drawn onto the mirror. It struck her with such deep love and affection, especially as he wrapped a fluffy and warm towel around her naked form, she worried she might burst into tears. It wasn't fair. There was so much she wanted to give him, so much of herself she wanted to share but had written off because she couldn't. If she couldn't, then it was easier to consider those parts of herself unimportant and not worth giving in the first place.

"I know," she acknowledged, leaning against him as she eyed the scar she left on his body all those years ago. As much as he chided her for hiding parts of herself, he was just as guilty. "These past few years have been amazing, Kiku. I really think you're the person I'm meant to be with. You're more than just a boyfriend. You're my best friend. If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."

"Quoting Jane Austen? You really are in a mood," he teased, tossing another crisp, white towel over her head. She laughed as he helped dry her hair, smiling up at him from beneath the hem with rosy cheeks. "Hm. Like this, you almost look like a bride from my place."

"Wishful thinking," she said with a cheeky wink, continuing to smile up at him.

He didn't deny it. Kiku was appraising her with a curious and fond thoughtfulness that most women would die to receive from the men they loved. It was like he was undressing her past the towel and trying to strip her down to her soul. Her breath caught in her throat, face heating up from more than just the humid bathroom.

"What if I shared my life and you shared yours?" Amelia asked suddenly, pulling the towel from her head and letting it pool at her feet.

His head cocked to the side. "Equivalent exchange?"

"Quoting Fullmetal Alchemist? You really are in a mood," she shot back at him, earning a playful shove that didn't even make her budge. "I'm serious though! What if we... traced the string that ties us together?"

"Ami, it's invisible."

"I know that! I just meant, like…" It wasn't like her at all to become so bashful, but she was having trouble finding the words. "What if I shared my story and you shared yours?" She raised her pinky finger again. "I know you and I are connected. The thread can stretch or tangle, but it will never break! I can prove that you and I are destined to be together! Don't you think so?!"

He was a little startled, but he shouldn't have been so surprised. A knowing smile crossed his face. "You do realize that a foolproof way to get you to do anything is to say you won't be able to do something, right?"

"So what?" Amelia whined. "Do you think we're tied together or not?"

"I think I can be convinced," he said with a small nod, gently guiding her back towards their suite.

In true American fashion, her enthusiasm was boundless and she wanted to get started right away. Towel still wrapped around her body, she grabbed a red pen and unlined pad of paper from the hotel desk, ready to write their entire story then and there.

"When does our story begin then? March 8th, 1854?" He recalled that was the first time he ever heard "The Star-Spangled Banner", played by no less than three bands as she departed her black-hulled ship.

Amelia began to laugh, a sound like tinkling bells. "Not even! If we're tied by fate, our thread begins earlier than that! Much earlier!"

"Like when?"

"Something like…" She began to scribble a year down onto the notepad, red pen making an imprint on the paper as if it were his heart. Amelia slid it towards him. "Here."

1607

And isn't it just so pretty to think

All along there was some

Invisible string

Tying you to me?

A/N: This is basically a reboot of my fic America Grows from AO3 (where this story is cross-posted). It still exists, but I'm not happy with it and what a difference a year and an album full of inspiration can make. I've been wanting to write down this idea for years, but I feel like I'm finally able to in a coherent way that will do it justice. I'm still fond of certain parts of my old fic, but it lacks coherency and doesn't quite pull off what I wanted it to do.

I hope that for anyone who read my first attempt will give this second (really third) try a shot, and if you do and you prefer this style, please let me know! This continues to be a passion project of mine. I actually wrote most of the last chapter of America Grows, but at that point I was so unhappy with how it was turning out, I lost the will to power through. I'm hoping that this will turn into something I can be truly proud of. I plan on taking it slow since it requires a lot of research and I want each chapter to be roughly 5,000 words, so expect updates monthly and not weekly.