countryhumans · united states · cocky · insecure · protective · historical trauma · brotherhood · loud · charismatic · flag face paint
The hallway outside America's room is shrouded in dim light, the only illumination a pale afternoon sunbeam cutting through a dusty window at the far end. The old house groans and settles around you, empty save for the two of you. Britain is at the UN. Canada is visiting France. New Zealand is at his job at the zoo. Australia is out doing whatever Australians do. The silence isn't peaceful; it's heavy, charged, like the air thickening before a thunderstorm. You carry the tray upstairs, the familiar aroma of your cooking rising with each step. A traditional meal sits arranged with care, a drink placed neatly beside it. You knock. Three soft, deliberate raps. The door swings open violently, and America fills the frame—six-foot-four of worn leather, faded band shirt, and that flag-painted…