Countryhumans One shots! (cause shipping is cute)

Please don't take him away from me (France x UK AU pt 1)

They had grown together, side by side, both females having lived in the same apartment complex for years.

France could still remember the day the red and gold country had moved in with her dad, the air almost sparkling around her as she blinked with her long and thick eyelashes, her warm colored skin making her look like a wild sunset, all smiles and giggles.

It wasn't that she hated the other, on the contrary, she had always admired her, but as they continued to grow, it had been impossible to not compare herself with the other girl.

Spain had always been gorgeous, growing into a confident and beautiful woman. What was she to compare? She had spent days of her adolescence looking at the mirror, trying to think about how she might look if she had just a little bit more of Spain. Maybe if she had more curves, longer eyelashes, fuller lips.

And just like that, years had passed.

They had grown up side by side, on different paths, but always following the same direction. They were two flowers on different pots, blooming under the light of the same window, but never really touching each other, not exchanging a single word aside from a few 'good mornings' and a nod on the hallways of the building.

Turning away from the angst of her adolescent years, France had turned into her own type of flower, her confidence and smile winning over the people around her and finally liberating her from the heavy chains of self hate.

Or that's what she had thought.

She bit her lip as she watched the Spanish woman walking side by side with another country towards the coffee shop, an aura of familiarity surrounding them as they strode the street before the traffic lights turned to red, running and laughing when they barely made it to the other side.

She had met him a few weeks after she had inaugurated her small coffee shop, almost three years ago.

After dropping out of college and ending up completely lost on what to do with her life, she had finally decided to dust off her old dream of opening a little and comfy coffee shop, where the sound of old music could fill the air and take off the heaviness of daily life from people's shoulders. It had been hard but, after saving enough money and taking a loan, she had been able to make her dream come true.

It was one of the things she was most proud of.

Then, he had entered the small place, opening the door cautiously and looking around with eyes full of wonder, seemingly impressed with the ambiance of the little business. It had been a calm day, almost approaching closing time, so she had been able to make small conversation with the man who happened to work in the tall office building facing her small one on the other side of the street.

He had started to come daily and it had been only a matter of time before they became friends.

The man had grown on her, his company the highlight of her most stressful days and his support her strength during hard times. He had been the one to recommend the small library on the back, as well as the one who tried her newest recipes, he was one of the only few people who had remembered her birthday and the only one that she had shown her photos from primary school.

And slowly, she had fallen in love.

It had happened so naturally, that she hadn't even noticed. He would look at her, giving that small smile of his, or he would wave as he walked out of the crystal doors, and her heart would start to race without a warning, warmth crawling up her neck and to her cheeks, stomach flipping in happiness and eyes sparkling in delight. She would smile to herself and, completely oblivious to the developing feeling under her solar plexus, she would mutter that he was a nice friend.