A warm soft laugh filled the room, and I could not help but notice, it was the first time I had heard the sweet sound of it. Curious about what could have possibly made my brother laugh, I turned my head from the flickering screen, and watched the man walking the same circle over and over again. He held his mobile phone close to his ear, but not close enough to touch the touchscreen accidentally. There was a little smile on his face which fit perfectly with the happiness sparkling inside his eyes.
"Okay, see you later," England said to the person on the other side of the phone.
He pushed the button with the little red phone on it and gave the phone a little kiss. England seemed in a really joyful mood, and before I could start wondering who it had been on the other side of the phone, the answer popped inside my head.
"Is America coming?" I asked cheerfully.
England couldn't stop the light blush from appearing on his cheeks by confirming which Sealand had guessed. "Yes, he will be here about a ten minutes."
I felt a nice kind of excitement tickle inside my tummy. I quickly put out the telly before rising up and giving England a hug.
"Thank you so much for inviting him over England," I said truly meaning my words.
"Well, he more like invited himself over, but you're still welcome dear."
When I not directly let England go I could feel how he started to find my hug uncomfortable. Our bound as brothers never had been strong. Of course he took good care for me, and I was also sure he loved me, but I always had the feeling I was inadequate. Would there ever be a day he would see me as a real country? I doubted that. But this wasn't the moment to feel sad. I let England go and looked up at the older nation.
"I'm going to clean my room before he comes," I said to England.
Again England smiled that happy smile I hadn't seen for ages.
"Why all the excitement? You never clean your room for me."
"Well that's because America is awesome and you're not."
"You little-" England said while laughing. "And I thought I had taught you manners."
I ran towards my room, but before I closed the door I stuck my tongue out to England. I accepted him to get mad, but the only thing he did was smiling at me before focussing on other business. I closed my door and had a look at my room, as messy as always. I quickly tried to clean up a bit, but the doorbell rang long before I was done cleaning.
"Coming!" I heard England say, but I doubted if America really would here that.
I quickly shove my dirty clothes under my bed before opening my door. As I did I was just in time to see England do the same with the front door. He opened the door and I could feel my heart skip a beat when I saw my personal hero. America was standing inside the doorway, having a suitcase in his left hand and a bunch of colourful flowers in his right.
"Long time no see, Iggy," he said with his total hero voice. "These are for you."
Before England could start arguing about the nickname 'Iggy' America almost pushed the bunch of flowers in his face. A bit stunned England took over the flowers.
"T-thank you..." he whispered, hiding his burning cheeks behind the flowers.
"You're welcome," America said when he stepped inside.
He took of his jacket and placed his suitcase under the peg. Then his eyes landed on me.
"There's my person little helper!" he said while giving me a heart warming smile.
Without hesitating I ran towards him and gave him a hug. In contrast with England, America did hug me back.
"I'm so happy to see you," I said while letting him go.
America bended his knees a bit so his face was on the same high as mine. I could see the warm smile on his face now even more clearly.
"So am I. So how has my little fellow been doing?" America asked while petting my head.
"Nothing really much. Just saving the world on a daily passes," I said in jest.
"As expected from the second greatest super hero on earth."
In the corner of my eye I saw that England was busy placing the flowers inside a vase, but I know that if he would have been listening to our little chat he would have signed because of our childishness.
"America?" I asked this time being serious.
America had noticed the change of my behaviour and became serious too. "Yes, Sealand?"
"I want to be just like you. You're such a strong and awesome country. I want that too."
"That will never happen," I suddenly heard England say.
He was done with the flowers and had join our conversation. I felt like I was stabbed in my heart. America his smile was gone when he slowly raised up and whispered inside England his ear. "Let the boy have his dreams, Artie."
Again another nickname England didn't like, but instead of arguing he just turned his back towards us and walked away. Pretending to make the flowers stand even prettier inside the vase.
"Sorry about that," America said to me.
"No need to apologies." I watched my brothers back while he was placing the flowers differently. "He always has been like that."
"He just doesn't want to lose you. That's all," America stood up for England.
My eyes shot to America, who had just like me had been watching England his back.
"I don't understand," I said, still feeling hurt inside my heart.
America his eyes let go of England and started to look down on me. He had some kind of sadness inside his eyes I wasn't familiar with.
"If you would become a strong country, just like me," he paused to look back at England. "You wouldn't need him anymore."
I got the feeling I had hit a nerve, a painful nerve from the past, the past I didn't know about.
"What happened between you too?" I asked after some time of silence.
America gave me a painful look before he gave me an answer.
"You should Google 'The 4th of July' some time. You will understand," was the only thing he said.
"But... that's your birthday, right?" I asked confused.
A little sad smile appeared on his face. "Exactly."
Before I could ask something else America walked away. As quit as possible he tiptoed to England who still was busy with the flowers. Without any kind of warning America started tickling England from behind. Shocked England dropped the flowers on the table while laughing. It was the second time I was hearing the sweet sound of this particular laugh. Only America could make England laugh like that. England turned around and grabbed America his hand to stop him. Little tears of joy were in the corners of his eyes.
"I think that's enough for today," England said happily but with a strict undertone.
"But Arthur, you know I can't get enough of teasing you," America said before suddenly getting his hands out of England's grip and softly pulling him into a kiss.
At first England's eyes flew open of surprise, but then he closed them and kissed America back intensely. Something about the scene disgusted me a bit, probably the lack of hormones inside my body, even though I was older than most people I was still a little boy, yet I couldn't look away. I felt my cheek burn when I watched the scene. There was something magical about the kiss which made me want to stare at it forever, but of course that didn't happen. In a blink of an eye America let England go. England slowly opened his eyes and looked inside America's. It took them both a while to realize I was still watching. I couldn't help but find England's sudden burning cheeks looking cute.
"Idiot. Not when Peter is watching," he whispered inside America's ear.
"You didn't seem to find it a problem when we were doing it," America teased England.
"Why you-" England was cut off by another kiss.
This one didn't last for long. It was only a sweet little kiss to get his mouth shut.
"I don't think it's that wrong," America said after breaking there kiss. "But I would suggest to continue this at night. Don't you agree?"
I saw disappointment inside England's eyes now that they couldn't keep on doing it now, but that look changed when he looked at me. I saw the older brother look inside his eyes I admired so much. Only when he had that look, I had hope that one day he would except me as a real country. Then slowly England's eyes wonder back to America's, a little smile was formed on his face. "Agreed."
"Good," America said while taking a step backward. "Because I'm totally starving man! Please tell me you already prepared something to eat."
"And I thought you didn't like my cooking," England mocked America with a little smile on his face.
"What can I say. If it's a matter of life or death."
The two countries where teasing each other some more while laying the table and getting the warm food out of the kitchen. The delicious smell found its way to my nose and I directly felt hungry. I took place on my seat and stared eating the meal with England and America together. England really had tried his best and it had paid off. It was the first, but hopefully not the last time, that I really enjoyed England's cooking. It probably tasted so good because he had cooked it with his heart and soul. A little smile was formed by my mouth. I always wanted America to be my brother instead of England. But now I started to have the feeling he would become part of the family soon anyway.
I looked at how England and America where staring inside each other's eyes. The love inside them was so strong that the pain inside my heart vanished completely and took place for a pleasant kind of warmth. The smile on my face became brighter when I noticed they were holding hands under the table, and I was sure one day those hands would wear rings which would link them together forever.
Really soon.