Flashback

France and England were running through the tall grass, hoping to reach a safe place to hide before any of their sovereigns caught up on them. France held close little America against himself, whilst England was doing the same with an increasingly restless Canada.

"I can see a forest in front of us!" England yelled, his eyes focussed ahead of himself. "We will be safe there. C'mon it's just a few feet ahead!"

"Angleterre! I can't keep up with y-" France's attempt to catch his lover's attention failed miserably, and he tripped on a hidden branch. Still, he somehow managed to fall on his back, in order not to hurt the child nation in his arms. "Ouch!"

France's pained moan made England stop abruptly, but as soon as he saw his lover rising America up and talking gibberish to him to make him laugh, the worry easily turned into annoyance.

"France, what the hell are you doing!? You can waste time later!"

"I'm not wasting time, I'm making my boy smile happily." France's voice, despite the cheerful tone he was faking, sounded quite strained. "Besides, I need help to stand up. My back hurts like hell."

"Since when someone hurting all over focus on playing with a baby instead of asking for help?" England sighed, now feeling guilty to have scolded France. He moved Canada so that he could hold him with only one arm, and then knelt at France's side.

"Every father should set that as a priority, you too mon cher." England grabbed his upper arm to help him into a sitting position, but as soon as he attempted to force his hand, France grimaced in pain... Pain that he tried to cover up as soon as he noticed Canada's eyes glistening with tears and fear. He reached out with his hand to caress his cheek and smiled warmly at the child. "Hey, mon chou, why the tears? Don't you want to win?"

"Win?" England and Canada asked at the same time, successfully distracted.

"Well, we might as well tell the kids what's going on-"

France's smile fell as soon as America showed signs of uneasiness, a reaction that both parents read as the sign that something he didn't like was happening in his lands.

England then put down Canada on the grass and took America from his lover's embrace to sit him next to his brother, so that it would be easier for him helping France. He grabbed him under his armpits and, like this, he successfully managed to make him stand back on his feet without hurting him too much.

"How is it? Can you run?"

"I can walk. I need time to go back running, though." France admitted in a low voice, turning however to smile at the children soon after. "Don't make that face, papa France just slipped. We can resume the game in a short while~"

"What game?"

"Aah, uhm..."

England stared perplexed at his lover and huffed, seeing him obviously unprepared to keep up his own plan.

"You can explain after we reach the forest, that's our best hiding place until you heal." Knowing that his lover wouldn't be able to reach for him by himself, England took America in his arms and gave him back to France. He then held up Canada, moving him so that he could still take France's hand in his. "C'mon, I'll help you."

"You are almost cute when you act so nice, you know?"

"Shut it." England's voice was soft and deep, revealing a lot of his inner turmoil. "Or else, when we will be back to our armies, I'll show you first hand how I am not cute at all."

France chuckled seeing the tiny blush of embarrassment on England's cheeks, and allowed him to lead him to the forest. Not too far from the clearing, they noticed some deep dunes that looked ideal for hiding. With England's help, France managed to sit down, but the English nation seemed unwilling to join him and just kept staring over the edge of the dune, worried that someone would come.

"Angleterre, there's little we can do to stop people from coming, if they are after us." France reprimanded him. "And I'm telling you again, you are scaring Canada with that worried face.

"But I am worried." England muttered almost inaudibly, but then, as he turned to Canada and saw the little boy staring at him with big frightened eyes, he forced himself to smile at him. "Don't worry, dear, dad England is just a bad loser."

He sighed, and then tried his best to sit at France's side without hurting Canada, resting his head on his husband's shoulder as soon as he had made himself comfortable next to him. France smiled at his silent request for comfort, and shifted America in his embrace to put his arm around England's shoulders to bring him closer.

They enjoyed the silence and one another's proximity for a while, until Canada's unsure voice reminded them that they had still some explanations to give.

"Dads? What's going on?"

"Well, to be fair..." England stared back at France hoping that he had finally made up some good explanations for the children.

"We... Listed our family on a tournament of hide-and-seek!" Both children plus England couldn't help but staring with wide eyes at France. "We left to find something nice to bring back to you, do you remember? Eventually we met this group of people playing hide-and-seek with their families, and we thought this was better than a toy! So we joined and ran back to get you, so we can play together!"

"Is hide and seek exciting?" America asked dubiously, but his brother didn't look more convinced than he was.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"It's not just hide and seek, there's a treasure hunt too! That's cool, isn't it?" France hastened to add, fuelled by panic, as he tried to come up with something that could make his story sound good enough for the children. "And well, we didn't tell you sooner because... We were really excited to play together!"

Trusting their French father as much as any other person did, Canada and America turned questioningly to England who, as soon as he perceived their eyes on him, laughed nervously and forced himself to act as casual as he could.

"Ye-yeah! Wasn't it a great idea? T-there's also a wonderful first prize for the winner, and we really want to get it! Ha ha..."

Both children rose a dubious eyebrow at England, whilst France just sighed and shook his head in disappointment at his poor acting skills.

"As you can see, there's nothing to worry about~"

France's soft smile worked much better than their words to reassure the children that everything was fine, so England tried a better attempt to comfort them with actions as well. He held Canada tighter in his arms and left a small peck on his plump cheeks, and then ruffled America's hair, making him chuckle.

France was happily enjoying the cute family scene, when a noise coming from the clearing caught his attention.

"Angleterre?"

"I heard it too. I'll go check."

"I could go in your place."

"You are hurt, Francis. Just think about resting and be ready to protect the children if needed."

England left Canada in France's care and soon the younger nation made himself comfortable next to his brother, who was already hiding his face against his father's chest.

"Dad France?"

"What is it?" America's voice sounded muffled by France's shirt, but he still managed to hear him. "England will get back soon, don't worry."

"It's not that, it's... I'm hungry..."

France's stare moved from America to Canada, and he noticed him blushing lightly, something that told him that he was probably hungry no differently than his brother. He dared to change position, but the sharp pain he felt running through his whole body told him that moving was still out of question.

He whistled to catch Pierre's attention, and soon the bird flew to join them, perching himself on France's knee as he waited for orders.

"It's a weird request, but could you bring closer to us those berries over there?"

Pierre answered with a confused chirp, but nodded in agreement. He called a few other birds to help him with the task, and soon he brought back enough berries to quieten the children, who had followed amused the whole operation from their safe spot in their father's arms.

"Is Pierre playing with us?" Canada asked eventually, freezing France on the spot and earning a questioning chirp from the little bird.

"S-sort of, mon chou. Pierre, you know..." He tried to think about some explanation, but the unexpected question had filled his mind with panic. "He is... Our lookout! And support, to bring back useful items and... find our way to the treasure."

Both Canada and America nodded, making France sigh in relief, but when Pierre did the same, he found himself lacking a viable way to explain to the bird that everything was just a play for the children.

Hoping that such explanation could be done at a later date and that no harm would come until then, France thanked Pierre and his friends, and instructed Canada and America to do the same. Satisfied by the appreciation, Pierre chirped happily his goodbyes and flew away, leaving France to feed the children with the berries he had brought.

"So? Are the berries good?"

America opened wide his mouth to eat the berry France was offering him, ending up sucking on his fingers too in the process. Canada huffed in disappointment, and tried to get France's attention on him.

"I wanna too!"

France smiled reassuringly to the child and offered him some berries with his clean hand, as he kept feeding America one berry at the time. Not to show himself greedy as his brother was doing, Canada took the berries in his tiny hand and put them slowly in his mouth one after the other. Despite the care he had put into not making a mess, at the end he found himself with the tip of his fingers blue and with his whole hand sticky. America chuckled at Canada's annoyed pout, earning his brother's glare on him.

"Mattie is blue! Mattie is bluee!"

"And you are goofy and greedy!"

"Boys, don't fight!" France reprimanded them quietly. "It's just some juice."

He managed with some difficulty to get a handkerchief to clean Canada's hands, but, as the child nation tried to open and close them again, they could still hear a sticky sound. He stared up at his father, then, guilt clear in his eyes.

"Sorry..."

"Why would you say that you are sorry? You can't eat berries without getting your hands sticky!" France reassured him, and with a swift movement he put Canada's fingers in his mouth, making the child laugh at the tickling feeling of his tongue on his fingers. "Here, now they are no longer sticky~"

"Now they are wet~!" Canada giggled. "And it tickled."

"Ooh! You like tickles?" France dragged him and America closer to him, tickling their sides so much that both children couldn't help laughing wildly as they plead for him to stop.

He interrupted the tickling only when he was sure that they were both relaxed and happy, and soon the children huddled closer to him. Silence dawned on them, but France was now out of ways to entertain them while waiting for England's return.

"When is dad coming back?" Canada hid his face against France's chest, tightening his grasp on his French father's shirt.

"Soon, mon cœur, just give him enough time to check well the area." As France tightened his hold around the children, he couldn't avoid noticing how tired they looked. "Do you want me to tell you a story while we are waiting?"

France's proposition was welcome with soft cheers, so he started telling them about the luscious forests of India, where men with bronze skin fought among them on beasts as tall as a house for the love of beautiful ladies dressed in colourful satin. As predicted, before long both children were deeply asleep.

France looked down at them and sighed, hoping that for as long as they were asleep they would not worry about their escape among the woods.

"Francis?" France looked up hearing England's voice calling him but, as he stared at the source of it, he could barely make out his lover's silhouette, something that made him realise that he couldn't really tell how much time had passed. "You fell asleep?"

"The children did. They ate some berries and then I told them a story." England sat at his side, in order to check on the two sleeping children and caress their reddened cheeks.

"How did you get berries? Can you move now?"

England's voice, despite the casual tone he was faking, couldn't hide his worry.

"It's getting better, but I got help from Pierre for the berries. What about you?"

"Uhm?"

"Were you right being worried?"

England sighed, and cuddled closer to France, searching for comfort.

"No one is in sight and I found a hollow tree big enough to host the four of us. There's enough wood around to close the entrance and sleep quietly without fearing that some beast will attack us."

"Sounds great."

"It is."

"Then what's up with you? Something you left at home?" France voice lowered and started to sound definitely unsure. "Or someone?"

"Francis, don't be an idiot." England reached to cup France's cheek and make him face him to kiss him gently. Their lips lingered on one another's more than what they would call proper considering the situation they were in and, when they parted, they couldn't help but staring in one another's eyes.

"Then why do you worry this much?"

"I... I think I overdid it, when I fled my ship to sneak on yours."

"Overdid it? What could you possibly have done?"

"Well, let's say that they would make me walk the plank, if they thought it would work on me."

"Arthur..." France nudged his nose with his own and kissed England one more time, since he couldn't hold him the way he wanted. "Don't worry, I'll find a way to cover up for you or to switch the responsibility onto me."

"I don't think you can. I just... I'm scared that they will take the kids away in retaliation, and make things worse with you."

"Well, about the last point you have nothing to worry about: worse than this between us I don't really think it's physically possible." France gave England a sad smile, as he was forced to remember the wars they escaped from. "And about covering up for you, I can still lend you my knowledge. With that I'm quite sure they will forgive you anything."

"God, are you telling me that you got more books for the Bibliothèque Oriental?"

"I take that you liked what I showed you last time, didn't you?"

"Like is an understatement, I don't really think there's something else with the same value on Asia at the moment." England swallowed, and leaned closer to France to kiss him on his neck. "You might be a pretty face, but you have no idea how much more I love your genius."

"Wasn't I an idiot just a few minutes ago?"

"Genius and idiot aren't mutually exclusive."

France chuckled at England's tease, basking in all the attention he was receiving from his lover.

"Did I manage to distract you?"

"Distraction is your second name, after all."

"I thought that was Fuck you."

"Well, there's that too." England laughed and then captured one more time France's lips with his own, asking to deepen the kiss soon after.

No matter how much he was appreciating the kisses, France realised that making out with two babies asleep in his arms wasn't a good idea, so he sadly parted from England.

"Do you think that the kids are cold?"

The possibility completely got England's attention, and he started rummaging in one of their backpacks in search for something warmer.

"Here, take one for Canada." He left a blanket over France's knees, and then focussed back on his backpack to search for a second one.

When he had found it, he put it on America and slowly and carefully closed it around his small body, as he did his best to hold him without waking him up. After some minimal struggle, he successfully nestled him in his arms, allowing France to use his now partially regained freedom to envelope in the warm comforter Canada as well.

After he had carefully tucked the blanket around him and cuddled him to his heart's content, France looked up at his lover and couldn't help but smiling at the sight of England doing the same with America. For how impromptu it had been their decision to accept parenthood as soon as the child nations had showed up, that was a choice they would never regret.

France was just about to ask England for help to stand up and reach the tree he had mentioned, when Pierre came back chirping, holding something twice his size in his beak. England stood up to meet him and the bird landed on his shoulder, proudly presenting them his finding.

While England thanked the bird and took the piece of leather from his beak, France stood up with difficulty and moved slightly behind him, trying to peek at its contents.

"Oh my, I can't believe he really came back with a treasure map!" France exclaimed surprised, caressing Canada's soft hair to reassure him that there was no reason to wake up.

"Wait, do you know something about this?"

"Well, when I asked Pierre to bring over some berries for the kids, I might have mentioned something about his role in the game we are supposed to play... He seems to have taken it to heart."

"Oh god, you and your bird are something else entirely."

"Well, now we have a map that will help us to keep up the play with the children." France chuckled, and petted Pierre right under his beak in a silent thank you. "Who knows, this can give us something different to focus on as well."

"France, we're hiding from our sovereigns, it's not an actual game." England sighed and left a quick kiss on America's forehead, still deeply asleep in his arms.

"Let's pretend it is. After all, we escaped because we wanted a holiday with our boys."

"You are not wrong." England admitted, and France took his chance to drag him closer, allowing England to make himself comfortable in his embrace. "I really need some time away from all that."

"You will have it, mon amour, don't worry." France kissed him gently on his lips, and then encouraged England to show him the way. "C'mon, let's get settled inside that tree before they wake up, we need to be all well rested to keep up this treasure hunt."

End of the flashback

"Yeah, but back then they were way smaller and we could move them without a problem." England sighed, knowing too well that –as things stood- it was easier for America and Canada to bring them around than the opposite. "Now I don't think we can do the same."

"Isn't it endearing, though, that no matter how much older they become, they can easily trust us to protect them as it used to when they were children?"

"Back then they were little more than babies, now… I don't know, maybe they just don't perceive this as a real danger."

"There might be a bit of that." France stared back to the boys still deeply asleep in his arms and caressed kindly their head to wake them up. "C'mon kids, the sleeping bags are much more comfortable than your old man."

Both America and Canada groaned as they woke up, blinking and looking at their surroundings as they tried to remember where they were.

"We fell asleep? Are they gone?" Canada asked, as he allowed England to help him standing up.

"Yeah, they gave up for today. France thinks they might not be back for a while, if he's right it will be at least enough to allow us to catch some proper sleep." England reassured him, taking away a leaf from Canada's hair before he offered his hand to France to help him back on his feet as well. "About you falling asleep on France, we think nothing about it: you kept doing that even when you were children, so it's no news for us."

"It's not our fault, France is warm." America groaned, scratching his head and yawning loudly as he stood up by himself. "He's also too soft."

"Hey! Are you telling me that I'm overweight?" France countered annoyed, stealing a chuckle from England.

"Oi, oi! The last thing we need is fighting among us." He admonished as he headed towards the clearing. "C'mon, let's go back to the camp."

"Wait a moment, I still didn't get an answer!" France bolted after his lover. "Why you are not defending me!?"

"This is the only answer you are going to get." England huffed, before checking that their sons were following them. "And I hardly think that you need to be protected, especially not from your sons and for a reason so stupid."

"So you think I'm overweight too! How dare you, I thought you loved me!"

"I think whatever can potentially annoy you, because you know that I love seeing you annoyed."

Despite his words, England reached behind himself to grab a hold of France's hand to simmer down his anger, making both his children sigh.

This was going to be a long holiday.

T.B.C.