Ch22

Once America and Hoffnungen got to the apartment, He yelled out to his brother. "Hey! Bro! We have a visitor!"

Canada slowly walked out from a hallway. "Who's that?"

Hoffnungen ran over and hugged him. "Canada! It's me! Hoffy!"

"Hoffnungen? You... You grew up?"

Hoffnungen nodded. "Only a few hours ago..."

Canada smiles and wraps his arms around the nation. It was hard to tell which was taller. "Instant? But not many nations change instantly."

Hoffnungen shrugged as she pulled away from the Canadian. "Anyways... Thank you so much for letting me stay again guys"

"W-Wait... She's staying?"

America grinned as he walked towards the two after locking the door. "Yeah, Bro! Besides, I didn't think you would mind having her over! You know, Because-" America was interrupted by Canada's fist in his stomach. As America was laying on the floor, Canada turned to look at the brunette.

"I'm sorry if a I seemed rude. I'm glad to have you over."

Hoffnungen looks at the American. He seemed in a lot of pain. "What was that all aboot?"

Canada smiles as he guided his guest to her room. "Nothing... He's okay. He'll be fine"

Hoffnungen nodded as she started walking away with te blonde. It's been too long since she's seen these people. She missed them a lot. "Oh! That reminds me..." The girl reached into her bag and pulled out the action figure she had been given a few years back. "Here, You should give this back to America."

Canada started shaking his head. "No. Keep it. He didn't even realize it went missing."

Hoffnungen smiled as she quietly put the plastic back into the bag and continued walking with Canada. "So, how have you guys been?"

"We've been good. America's been more of an idiot than usual though..."

Hoffnungen and Canada stopped in front of the room that Hoffnungen would be staying. "Do you know of any reasons?"

Canada nodded, but immediately shook his head. "N-No..."

Hoffnungen shook her head. "Do you really think I'm an idiot? Why is he being more of an idiot?"

Canada looked off to the side blushing. "I can't... I can't tell you..."

Hoffnungen grinned as she gently put her stuff on the ground. She ran up to the blonde and embraced him, making him blush brighter. She leaned to his ear, whispering her next sentence in it. "You don't have to lie to me. If there's something personal you don't feel like saying, you don't have to say it..."

The Canadian nodded. "T-Thanks... Here, let me help you..." He bent over and helped Hoffnungen unpack her bags. "There you go. Unpacked."

Hoffnungen made sure to thank him as he left the room. "Thank you very much, Canada..." And after he was gone, she sat on the bed in the corner. She looked out the window and looked at the flowers. They were the same kind as at Austria's house. She felt something familiar. Something she had felt everyday ever since... Leanne... "Why the fucking hell do I feel so fucking guilty?"

She pulled the blankets over herself. It wasn't quite dark, but she was exhausted from her trip. She wanted to sleep but she couldn't. She couldn't get the thought of Austria out of her head. The look on his face when he smashed the sculpture. He had never looked so ashamed in his life. He almost never looked ashamed at all. And then when she grew up. He looked as if he were... A father... Who had raised a perfect child and was the proudest father in the world... But then when she left him. Hen she left them there as they were talking about kicking her out. She didn't even look back. Not once. "What the hell is wrong with me? All I'm doing is sitting here being the guilty one... He smashed the sculpture..."

But it was only an accident...

"He always looked at me like a child!"

But he loved me...

"He tried to sell me to Spain for fucks sake!"

But he never tried to again...

"And then... The look of disappointment he gave me... When I saw him and Hungary for the last time... It was directed at me... I know it..."

But it looked more like he was disappointed in himself...

"Hoffnungen? Are you okay?" A voice broke Hoffnungen's concentration.

"A-America? Y-Yeah... I'm just fine..." She looked at the door with small trails of tears rolling down her cheeks, but she was completely oblivious to them.

"What'sup? You look down..."

Hoffnungen finally noticed the moisture and wiped it away with he sleeve of her t-shirt. She didn't even bother to change her clothes before leaving. "Nothing..."

America giggled as if it were a laughing matter, but he was very serious about the situation. "That's what they all say. But then, next thing you know, they're crying and sobbing and beating themselves up... Or worst..."

Hoffnungen looked back out the window. She sat up and sighed. "I'm just thinking aboot Austria... And how horrible he must feel..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No... Just leave me alone..."

America put his hand on the door knob. "Okie dokie." And he started to close the door.

"Wait!" She stopped the blonde from leaving the room. She sighed when she looked at the wall, on the opposite side of the room. "N-Never mind..."

He began closing the door again. "Alrighty then." But yet again, was stopped.

"Stay... I... I do want to talk aboot it..." And so the American opened the door wide open and sat next to the German. She explained exactly how she felt and how horrible and unlikable the sensation felt in her chest.

"Sounds to me like Guilt"

"I know it's guilt idiot... But I don't know why I feel so fucking guilty..."

America put his fingers to his chin and thought for a second. "Well... Maybe it's because you actually cared about him?"

Hoffnungen grabbed the pillow behind her and smacked him with it. "No, Fuck face! I don't give a single flying fuck aboot that shit hole of a bastard! He ruined my goddamned life!"

America stood up and walked over to the door. "Maybe this is one of those things that only you can figure out then, dude."And he shut the door gently behind him. Was it? Was it one of those things?

"Maybe you're right..."