Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia in any way, shape or form.

Unedited, weeeeee :D

Chapter 5: Unwanted… Alligator?

Belarus and Spain sat together in a tense silence as Spain worked over Belarus' arms, spreading salve over her cuts and wrapping her arms. He sat back, admiring his handy work. He kept one of her arms extended, watching the blood already seeping through the bandages.

With her other arm, Belarus clutched the towel to her chest. "T-thank you," she said, the words foreign as they rolled off her tongue.

"You're welcome," Spain replied cheerily, grinning widely at her. He didn't move from where he sat in front of her. Silence descended over the once more until Spain broke it with a couple well placed words. "So, you like America, huh?" He grinned knowingly.

Belarus started choking simply on the air she'd been breathing in. Heat raced across her face. "W-what are you t-talking about?" she sputtered, staring wide-eyed at the happy Spaniard. Wasn't he supposed to be the most oblivious of the nations? For God's sake, he didn't notice when someone had started taking off his pants! How the hell had he figured her out so easily?

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, but I must say, good choice! He's really a great guy if you get past the annoying, at times, personality. He's good in bed," he said thoughtfully, pursing his lips and turning his eyes to look out the window.

"What?!" she cried, confusion shooting through her, "When-?"

"Oh, it was a long time ago, when he was still a young man, but seriously, one of the best times in bed I've ever had. I have no idea where he got that kind of skill. We all know England doesn't have it," he explained easily, not a trace of embarrassment in his easy-going posture, "Ah, no, that's a lie if his old pirate days have anything to show."

Belarus furrowed her brow at the man before her leaning back on his hands. "Why are you telling me this?"

Spain sighed, running a hand throw his hair and for once looking older than his human age than younger. "Look, I know we've never been close friends. None of us have really been close friends, but I don't like seeing others unhappy. I've known you for many years now, and not once have I ever seen you truly happy."

Her frown deepened. "I'm happy with my brother," she corrected.

He shook his head. "No, that's not the same kind of happiness. That's happiness that comes from family, and even then, you were never very happy because he is constantly running from you. No, I'm talking about the kind of happiness that comes from loving someone."

"Love?" The word sounded awkward coming from her mouth. She'd never really thought about it before. Sure, she used it to describe how she felt about her brother, but she'd really never taken the time to think on the word. She'd never had to before, and didn't want to contemplate it now.

"Yes, exactly, love. Love is different from person to person, and especially from family members to friends, or people you get to know well. It can grow slowly over time, or burst into existence form the slightest event."

At that moment, the memory of her kiss with America pushed into her mind. She felt his mouth on hers, his hands in her hair. She smelt the warm scent that belonged only to him, and the desire rising from both of them.

If her face could have gotten any redder, it would have.

A grin curled at the edges of Spain's mouth. "It can be for a friend or a relative stranger. The only thing that's for sure about love is that we don't choose who we fall in love with. It's spontaneous and amazing, and so worth the trouble."

Pressing a corner of the towel to her mouth, she said, "You're speaking from experience." It wasn't a question, but simply a statement.

Spain's smile spread wider. "Yes, yes I am, so now you have proof that it exists and can happen." Getting to his feet, he dusted off his rear. "Don't let your chance slip away. You may not get another one, and I don't want to see you unhappy anymore." He smiled sweetly, gently pushing a strand of hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. His fingers were warm and soft, skimming against her cheek. He smoothed back her hair before turning and leaving her to her thoughts.

"I don't understand," she murmured in denial, huddling down in the towel that smelled so much like America, but the thing was, she did understand. She just didn't want to admit it to herself.

…..

"Oh, there you are, Belarus. I was beginning to wonder where you'd gone," Russia said as Belarus came down the stairs. He blinked several times, taking in his sister's appearance. Instead of the bathing suit she'd been wearing, she now sported a blue button up jean shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, exposing her bandaged arms, over a pair of black boxers she'd obviously commandeered from America's drawers. Her hair was loose, falling down her back and around her face. He wondered if she realized that the boxers had yellow bat symbols dotting the black fabric. She looked so natural, and more beautiful than usual. "What were you doing?"

"Taking a shower," she replied simply without even glancing at him. Actually, she'd been mulling over Spain's words attempting to decipher their meaning. The process had been hampered by her complete and utter denial.

She stared out at the ocean where she could see many of the other nations playing. They threw buckets of water at each other and shot streams of water from toy guns, the most enthusiastic of the group being America, his sisters, and Italy.

Stepping out onto the back patio, she watched them wreak mayhem. Hungary and Prussia were facing off in the water, glaring determinedly at each other. They held fake swords in their hands, water guns strapped to their hips.

"If I win, you have to feed me alcohol through kisses," Prussia told her.

"And if I win, I get to top for the next week," Hungary countered.

"Fair enough." Silence fell, and then they were charging at each other.

Actually wondering who would win this one, Belarus paid close attention to the fight until a deep bellow, like that of a dragon, came from beside her. Frowning, she glanced towards the portion of the patio that bordered the swampy forest. Not twenty feet from her, and alligator stared at her hungrily.

Belarus glanced balefully towards the sky. 'Really? An alligator? Are you trying to set a record?' she thought bitterly at the sky, glaring into its blue depths. The deep bellow came again, drawing her attention back to the insistent animal.

They glared at each other for several long moments. The alligator's snouted bobbed up and down, air whistling through his nostrils. He snapped his teeth together, taking a slow step forward.

"Don't you have food in the swamp?" she asked the creature uninterestedly, her eyes half-lidded, "Do we really have to go through this? Can't you just go find someone else to eat?"

The alligator let out that roar once more and charged at her. It snapped greedily at her exposed leg, missing her by centimeters only because she backed up. Her eyes narrowed on the animal. It was times like these that she wished she had her daggers. The gator snapped at her leg again, and this time she kicked it under its snout.

Growling and shaking its huge head, the gator backed up a few steps.

"Belarus!" America and Russia called, finally spotting the alligator she was currently squaring off with. America started running towards her, but her words stopped him.

"Stop! Don't come any closer! I don't need you to save me every time I'm in trouble!" she shouted, anger boiling up. Anger at her stupidity, anger at her whole situation, anger that she couldn't save herself. She was just angry, period.

"But-" he began, but the alligator's angry bellow cut him off. The alligator was no longer hungry, just pissed at his meal being thwarted by the meal itself. It lunged for Belarus, slamming her legs with its strong tail.

Grimacing, she took the force of the blow, ignoring the pain that radiated through her leg, she jumped landing on her heels on the creature's snout. The gator snarled, throwing her off and snapping at her skin as she landed.

She felt his teeth graze her leg, but ignored the pain that shot up her leg, nearly crippling her. She slammed her heel into the front of its snout.

"Belarus," she heard Russia call calmly. She glanced up just in time to snatch the blade he'd tossed her from the air. Without even a second's pause, she imbedded the knife in the gator's back. It bellowed angrily, but didn't attack again. Backing up, it turned and slithered off the porch with a loud splash as it fell into the river. She collapsed to the floor as soon as it was out of sight.

America was by her side in seconds. "I'm sorry. I didn't think there'd be any alligator's this close to the ocean. Are you alright?" He ran his hands over her, checking of any cut or bruises.

"I'm fine!" she snapped angrily, making an attempt to stand, but only falling back to the wood of the patio. Her legs weren't working. They felt like pudding, soft and compressible. Pain shot through her body as her muscles trembled with the effort to contract.

"Belarus?" he asked, concern lacing his normally comical tone, pulling her eyes to his, "What's the matter?"

"My legs," she whispered, the fear stirring in her gut coloring her voice and darkening her eyes.

He dropped beside her, hand still clenched around hers, as the other nations slowly began to gather around the scene. Pulling her against his chest gently and lifting her off her legs, he pulled her legs out from under her.

She gasped in his ear, a mewl of pain escaping her clenched teeth. Gasps ran around the crowd. "What? What is it?" she asked, trying to push away from America, but he kept her firmly pressed where she was, "Let me see!"

Finally after exploring her legs with gently fingers, only running his fingers along her skin and leaves burning paths behind, he let her see the damage. It wasn't as bad as she'd been imagining, even if it had been inhibited by the mesmerizing feel of America's fingers slipping along her skin.

One of her calves was a deep, almost black, purple. If she hadn't been able to move it, she would have believed it was broken. Her other leg was a bloody mess. Crimson liquid coated her skin from deep gouge marks the gator's teeth had left. Blood still poured from the gouges, showing no sign of stopping anytime soon.

"Should I call an ambulance?" Lithuania asked, the cordless held in his hand. His face was pale, and his hands shook just the tiniest bit.

"No," Belarus shot before America had a chance to answer, "No ambulance. I just need gauze and rubbing alcohol. I can take care of this myself."

America glared sternly at her, ready to veto her decision, but the glare she shot him stopped him. "Fine," he muttered, not taking his hands from where the rested on her back and thigh.

"I've got the first aid kit," Spain called cheerily, trotting down the stairs. All eyes turned to him just in time to see him trip and slam face first into the tile. The group gasped, but he just popped back up like a jack-in-the-box, still grinning despite the blood that gushed from his nose. He trotted over to the pair on the floor, handing them the little red box. "Here ya' go."

"Cazzo idiota!" Romano shouted, stomping over to his lover as he spewed every foul word he knew in his native tongue at the older man, snatching a kitchen towel from the counter and pressing it to his nose.

Sighing loudly, America popped open the box and set to work on cleaning and bandaging Belarus' legs. Once he was done, he swept her into his arms and started to carry her away. "I think it'd be best if we all just stayed in the rest of the night," America called over the crowd from the stairs, "Unless you want to get bit up by mosquitos. I'm warning you now though they're the size of dogs, and we have hissing cockroaches." He grinned at the horrified looks on some of his fellow nations' faces. "Make yourselves at home." With that, he turned and disappeared up the stairs, Belarus still in his arms.

So, apparently I was lying about this being the last chapter. We'll see what happens next. Maybe I'll end up squeezing another 2-3 chapters from the story. We'll see though. Feed the review monster! She's beginning to crave pretty little nations :P

P.S. - How do you guys feel about me shoving in a short little lemon? It'll only be my second one (first Hetalia one) so I don't know how good it would be. Review with your opinions please :D